Had It Not Been for You
by BadButt94
Summary: Summary: While hanging out at Naruto's house, Naruto and Sasuke have a little 'talk'. Follow the secret lives of our two favorite yaoi couple. NaruSasu. Eventual Mpreg. During the Naruto Universe. Previously known as "Let's Only Try It Once".
1. Notes

**Notes for 'Let's Only Try It Once'**

**Characters and What Animal Their Clans are Associated With:**

**Part One:**

**Naruto Uzumaki: **Orange Fox

**Sasuke Uchiha: **Black Cat

**Sakura Haruno: **White Bunny

**Ino Yamanaka: **Pink Pig

**Shikamaru Nara: **Brown Dear

**Choji Akimichi: **Brown Bear

**Kiba Inuzuka: **White Dog

**Hinata Hyuga: **Gray Mouse

**Shino Aburame: **Black Beetle

**Neji Hyuga: **Snow Lion

**Tenten: **Brown Monkey

**Rock Lee: **Cheetah

**Gaara: **Raccoon Dog

**Temari: **White Weasel

**Kankuro: **Crow

**Kakashi Hatake: **Silver Wolf

**Iruka Umino: **Dolphin

**Third Hokage: **WhiteMonkey

**Jiraiya: **Toad

**Tsunade: **Slug

**Shizune: **Pig

**Anko: **Snake

**Ibiki: **Badger

**Kurenai: **Bumble Bee

**Gai: **Turtle

**Asuma: **Monkey

**Itachi: **Black Cat

**Kisame: **Shark

**Orochimaru: **Snake

**Kabuto: **Silver Wolf

**Konohamaru: **White Monkey

**Moegi: **Dove

**Udon: **White Dog

**Jirobo: **Bear

**Kidomaru: **Black Spider

**Sakon/ Ukon: **Lizard

**Kimimaro**: White Dragon

**Tayuya: **Hyena

**Genma Shiranui: **Sloth


	2. Kyuubi and Naruto

"**Let's Only Try It Once"**

**Summary: **While hanging out at Naruto's house, Naruto and Sasuke have a little 'talk'. Follow the secret lives of our two favorite yaoi couple. NaruSasu. Mpreg. During the Naruto Universe.

**Chapter 1: Kyuubi and Naruto**

**Prologue:**

**Kyuubi's P.O.V.**

The dust from the battlefield had just disappeared. The moon waded high in the night air. Debris from our battle surrounded the forest. Inside of a cage, I stood in front of two smiling adults with bushy orange tails swishing behind them. The woman had long fiery red haired that brought more attention to her ears. The other was a tan man with wild blond hair that hid his fox ears and bright blue gentle eyes. But, my eyes were drawn to the little bundle in the man's arms. I used one of my claws to gently pull back the cover and saw a lightly tanned baby with almost silver blond hair and a small orange busy tail with orange ears to match. The baby was sleeping peacefully when his father handed him to me. I was confused as I stared down at my paw. The baby was so small and light that it didn't even feel like I was holding anything.

"Please take care of our son." The blond whispered as he and his wife started to disappear.

"_**No need to worry, Fourth Hokage and Wife… Naruto will be in good hands… After all he is my new host."**_ I smirked before they completely disappeared.

Now, I'm sitting in the forest destroyed because of me. A red and white kimono wrapped itself around my tanned skin. I ran a clawed hand through my long shaggy red hair. The baby started to stir, but quieted down after I used one of my nine tails to sooth the baby back to sleep. _"I actually felt sorry for the kit. He's so gentle and loveable, but when people find out about me… then his life will become a living hell."_ After sighing again, I used my chakra to teleport us to the Hokage's office.

…

…

…

I practically busted through the door of the current Hokage's office. Everyone jumped at my entrance. They weren't expecting me to show up. The man with the camera was going to shut it off until I stopped him.

"_**Don't turn that video camera off. I'm sure you don't wanna miss this."**_

"Who are you? State your business with this village and/or me." Grunted the Third Hokage.

"_**You know me. You all know me. Maybe not in this form, but think back to about an hour ago… I was the giant fox destroying your village."**_ I smirked as I adjusted Naruto in my arms.

"_**The Nine-Tails? Why has the likes of you returned to that Leaf Village? Are you here to announce that, since the Fourth Hokage got in your way, you're back to try again?"**_ The Third sneered.

"_So pathetic."_

"_**Relax Elder Monkey. I don't give a damn about this village or you. Now, on to the real reason as to why I'm here."**_

"Which is~"

"_**This."**_ I moved my arm and reviled a still sleeping Naruto. _**"He is the Fourth's son. I was asked to take care of him, but I cannot. Not like the way you people can. So here. You take him. Feed him, change him, bathe him. You know, the works."**_ I said as I handed him the sleeping baby.

I had just touched the door frame when the Third spoke. "I can't accept your request."

The response stopped me in my tracks. My claws made indents into the frame as I turned and glared at the white haired monkey. His tail waved calmly behind him. _**"Excuse me?"**_

"I cannot do what you have asked me." He responded again before throwing the sleeping baby toward me.

Thinking quickly, I used my eight tails to catch the infant. When Naruto started to cry, I held him in my arms until he settled down. I wanted to smile at his bright blue innocent eyes, but maintained my glare to make sure that everyone in that room knew that I meant business.

"_**What the hell is you're problem? First of all, you DON'T throw an INFANT. And second… WHY CAN'T YOU TAKE ON THIS RESPONSIBILITY?"**_ I practically roared at the top of my lungs.

"It is because of what that child is." He responded.

"_**What he is? This child is nothing but an innocent infant whose father was the Fourth Hokage, who you all loved and respected."**_ I argued back.

"**THAT **_**CHILD**_** IS NOTHING BUT ANOTHER HOST FOR **_**YOU. AND ON TOP OF THAT, HE IS ALSO THE SON OF A MAN WHO'S BEEN A THORN IN MY SIDE SINCE THE DAY HE WAS BORN**_**!"** He spat.

"_**THE HATRED YOU HAVE FOR THE FORTH SHOULD NOT BE PASSED ONTO HIS SON!"**_ I growled loudly.

"_**Why should I raise the son of the man I hate?"**_ He hissed.

"_**You're pissing me off."**_ Our eyes glared daggers at each other forever before I sighed in defeat. _**"Fine. I will be the one to raise this boy until my new form forces me to leave him… Will you at least supply me with the means to take care of him?"**_ The Hokage thought it over for a minute before sending one of the Jonin to the nursery. I waited until said Jonin handed me twenty bags full of stuff for the baby. What I couldn't carry, my tails were there to provide extra hands. Before leaving, I turned to glare at the _**'man'**_ before me while the other Jonin cowered in the corner. _**"I will return a week before my physical disappearance from this world. I hope that you'll be rotting in your grave by then."**_ And with that, I stormed out of the office with Naruto and the supplies in hand.

…

…

…

"_**There. There. Relax child. I'm here. Look. Here's a nice warm bottle of milk."**_ I cooed at the crying infant before feeding him.

I had Naruto in my arms, an opened baby book on two of my tails, and the supplies were spread around the tree stump I sat on. _"This parenting thing isn't for me."_ I had to teach myself how to raise this little person, who is now _**totally**_ dependent on me. I read the book with great intent. It helped… only when__Naruto _**acted**_ like a general baby.

Once Naruto finished the bottle, I burped him and placed him in my lap. His inquisitive eyes searched my red orbs. I studied this little person with a smile when the baby laughed and reached for my clawed fingers. I was hesitant at first, but after he kept a tight grip on my finger, I felt happiness pour off of the child and into me. He waved my finger with all his might, marveling at the differences between the two hands. He quietly sucked on his other fist as he continued to play with my finger. The smile on my face disappeared as I thought about what the future would hold for this new born.

"_He'll be alone. No parents. No friends. No support. He'll have me, but to be honest… It would probably be better if he __**was**__ alone. His father didn't want Naruto to carry on his name. It may hurt the poor boy, but it's for the best. His father knew that he had enemies and he didn't want them to get to Naruto. I wonder if he knew that one of his greatest enemies was __**right**__ under his nose?"_

"_**Don't do that."**_ I lightly smiled as I pulled my long hair from Naruto's hold. The baby started to whimper once my hair was out of his reach. "Come on. It's time for bed." I whispered as I picked him and the supplies up and climbed the truck of the nearest tree, using only my chakra.

I hung the stuff from different branches before clutching Naruto to me. He eventually nuzzled into my chest and dozed off. That night, I thought about the situation I was in and about the future before falling asleep myself.

…

…

…

"Uncle Kyuubi. When are we going to go hunting for dinner?" A hyper seven year old blond boy asked with a huge smile.

"_**Actually, I'm the one that's going to do the hunting tonight. I have to go somewhere in a minute, but you know what to do while I'm gone…right?"**_

"YEP! I have to stay hidden in the trees and mask my scent until you return." He cheered with his bushy tail swaying eagerly behind him and orange ears perked on top of his head.

"_**Good boy. Now go and hide. I'll be back in a little bit. Be good Kit."**_ I smiled.

"Bye-bye Uncle Kyuu!" He smiled as he started his task. I waited until his scent was gone before I left him in the forest and began my journey into the Leaf Village.

Over the course of seven years, I watched and helped the helpless infant grow into a fun loving young boy. Not a day goes by without me smiling at some point of the day. That boy makes me so proud. I still remember all the toys I carved out of wood for him, using only my nails. I taught him all kinds of survival and fighting techniques. He's a tough kid. He barely cries anymore. I taught him how to read and write. His penmanship could use some work, but then again… he's only been writing in dirt. He's learning so fast and has ton of potential. After I'm gone… he'll be alright.

"_**Damnit."**_I hissed as I felt myself slipping away.

…

…

…

"Oh, _**you're **_back. Seven years later…" The Third growled as he looked up from his documents.

"_**And you're still living. How unfortunate. Well, at least now I won't feel so bad about missing your funeral."**_ I smirked as I leaned against the door frame. _**"I see you kept my indents in your door frame. Did you think of me whenever you looked at these?"**_ I laughed as I played with the carvings.

"Hokage-sama. Who is that?" A red haired Jonin bird asked as he backed against the wall.

"Yes. His chakra levels are off the charts." A white haired Jonin cheetah commented.

"_**This being**_ is nothing special." Hissed the Third.

"_**Awe. No need to be modest. Now… why don't you dismiss these two so that we can… 'chat'."**_ I smirked while flicking the dirt from under my nails. Said Hokage did as I asked and dismissed the two Jonin. I watched the trembling bodies exit the room before I called out to them. _**"Oh, by the way… tell ANYONE that you saw me… You'll die before you realize it."**_ They allowed my words to trickle in their veins before they scurried down the hallway. _**"They're fun. Do you have fun with them?"**_ I teased.

"What do you want?"

"_**It's about Naruto. It's been seven years. I have raised this boy to the best of my abilities. My body is starting to disappear. I only have a week left. So, I came here to ask you again… Will you raise Naruto Uzumaki?"**_

I stared into his eyes with my hands gripping the edges of his desk. "I will not raise him. I will merely watch over him." He responded.

"_**You're frustrating. Can you at least provide shelter for the boy?"**_

He searched through a few documents and signed some more before handing me a key. "Here is the key to an emptied apartment just down the road. That will be his shelter." The old monkey said with boredom in his tone.

I felt anger boil inside of me before I grabbed him by his robes. _**"Listen to me, you wrinkled old monkey… Within the next week, my body will completely disappear and that boy will be alone. He is the Fourth Hokage's and my son. If he EVER sheds a tear because of this village… I will force myself from my cage and back into my giant fox form. I will slaughter this village and everyone who lives here before you could even blink. Oh, and don't let the village confuse Naruto with me. He is a sweet boy while I'm… I'm just a demon. He is far from what I am… Remember that…"**_ I growled in his face before I threw him back in his chair and snatched the key from his desk.

…

…

…

"Hi Uncle Kyuu! Did you have fun where ever you went?" Naruto smiled at me.

"_**No… Hey Naruto. There's something important I need to tell you~"**_

"You know what Uncle Kyuu… You're the only other person I've ever met. Thank you. I think I would've been alone if you weren't here. I don't wanna be alone Uncle Kyuu." Naruto turned toward me with little tears in his eyes.

I picked him up and held him close to my chest, trying to sooth away his tears. _**"Thank you for letting an old demon hear those words. Naruto… listen. Uncle Kyuubi has to go away next week. I won't be here physically, but I will always be within you. If you ever need me… just call… I'll answer every time. Don't cry. Come on… let's go to our new home."**_ With a still crying small boy in my arms, I made my way to the house.

…

…

…

The apartment was small and livable. Just perfect for Naruto to live in. For the next week, I spent almost every minute teaching Naruto how to adapt to this new way of living. He caught on pretty quickly. I was so proud.

On my last night, I read Naruto his favorite book before tucking him in. The boy looked so peaceful as he curled under the blankets. I stretched before looking out of his bedroom window and down at the sleeping village with a sneer. _**"You better take care of my boy LEAF… Or else you'll go through twice the hell I put you through the first time."**_

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt something grab onto my Kimono. I turned around and saw a sleeping Naruto holding the cloth. He had his thumb in his mouth, his ears were flat against his head and the pillow, his tail was wrapped around his waist, and to top off the cute picture, a little trail of drool leaked down his chin. I smiled before lying down on the other side of the bed, kiss his forehead, close my eyes, and wait for my body to completely disappear back into Naruto's body.


	3. Growing Up Naruto and Sasuke's Mind

**Chapter 2: Growing Up Naruto/Sasuke's Mind**

**5 Years Later**

**Ages: 12-13**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

"_Today's the day."_ I cheered as I placed my forehead protector on, paying close attention so that I don't wrap the ends around my ears. I used my keys to lock the door to my apartment before pocketing them and my hands. I started my stroll over to the Academy with my life on my brain.

Practically everyone hates me because I'm the Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki. It's not exactly easy to hide it either. I mean, I am the only person walking around the village with a fox tail and ears. But, despite all of the horrible treatment and jokes I've endured, I still keep my head held high in hopes of becoming the most powerful Hokage that ever lived. But, my childhood wasn't all bad. I did have a few friends. One was a white dog named Kiba. Another was Shikamaru, a brown deer. The last one was a brown bear named Choji. I still remember all the times we would get yelled at for sneaking out the classroom. We were practically inseparable, that is until their parents found out. They each told the three boys that I did something bad. I never knew what it was, but whatever I did it made them stop being my friends. Kiba didn't want to be my friend because he believed in his family's word against mine. Shikamaru and Choji, on the other hand, didn't buy into it, but they had to stop being my friend out of respect for their elders. It was from that day on my Hokage dream was born. I always thought that if I became Hokage, or at least did something worth honoring, then maybe the villagers would finally respect me.

"_Maybe then, people could learn to accept an outcast like me."_

"_**Why do you need them to accept you? I love and accept you… Isn't that enough?"**_ My demon asked.

"_It is Kyuubi, but I want a friend that can be there for me mental and physically."_

"_**I can be there physically… If you'll let me."**_ I could feel him grinning behind his bars.

"_No thank you. Remember the last time you tried to be there for me physically? It took all of my will power and energy to keep you from being released and slaughtering the whole village."_

"_**HEY! They had it coming. What kind of parent would I be if I didn't come out and kill those kids who threw rocks at you?"**_

"_A good one. Parents don't usually go around killing kids who don't really know why they do what they do."_

"_**Hn. Whatever you say, Kit."**_ And with that, Kyuubi went back to sleep.

"_You know… come think of it… Iruka was really the only person to act as a surrogate parent towards me. A couple of days back, I had saved his life from the likes of Mizuki, after he injured and almost killed Iruka-sensei. That day, I found out what Kyuubi did all those years ago. I believed him about the event that took place, but when he tried to use Iruka against me, I was able to use my new technique and defeat the white haired badger. Proud that I was able to master the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Iruka presented me with my own personal headband and allowed me to graduate. I shocked to say the least, but ever since I took the exam for the first time something's been bothering me… Why can't I perform the simplest jutsus? I mean after focusing too hard I can do some jutsus perfectly, but most of them I can't execute them even if I tried. Whenever I asked Kyuubi about it, he couldn't answer me and instead would search for a reason. We still can't find one too this day._

_Later that, when I asked about what Mizuki had told me, Kyuubi admitted that he did go on a rampage and tried to kill everyone. He also apologized for making me take responsibility for his actions. Of course I forgave him. He was the man who raised me and plus I was stuck with him for the rest of my life. I had to accept him for who he was and what he did." _

As I continued down the path to the Academy, I heard the whispers and growls of the people. _"It doesn't bother me anymore. I've gotten too use to them to really pay any attention. It makes me wonder though… How would anyone else handle this situation? I wonder how Konohamaru would handle it? When I got to spend some time with the Third's grandson, I've come to admire him. He's kind of like a mini-me. People respect him, but they only see him as the Honorable Grandson, not Konohamaru. I kind of feel bad for the little guy. I would hate living in someone's shadow."_

"_**Hey Kit, don't look now, but I think I see your little girlfriend coming."**_The fox grinned.

"_Shut up."_ I blushed.

"_Sakura Haruno, is the prettiest girl I've ever seen. As far back as I could remember, I've had the hugest crush on the pink haired female bunny. I when we were younger, she would never talk to me, but whenever I could I would sneak peeks at her and see the loneliness she faced because of her large forehead, really tall white bunny ears, and small cotton tail. When I told her that I liked her, she glared and told me to get lost. She said that she would rather be alone than be my friend. Sure it had hurt me terribly, but after I saw the hurt look in her eyes… I knew that it was a front. The only bad thing about liking Sakura…? I have to compete with Sasuke-teme._

_Sasuke Uchiha from the Uchiha Cat Clan. All I ever hear about is how great Sasuke is, or what a delight old Duck Boy is. It pisses me off. The sad thing is that it's all true. I don't know how, but every time we were pitted against each other, he would always come out on top while I remained dead last. To everyone… that's all I'll ever be. I hate the way he walks. He would hold a glare on his face whenever the girls fawn over him. I would kill to have that happen to me. But he just ignores or growls at them and continues down the dirt streets of Konoha with his raven ears standing tall and his raven tail gently flowing behind him… It makes me sick to my stomach."_

"_**Cheer up, Kit. Just think… You're a Genin now. You're one step closer to becoming Hokage."**_

Just that thought alone cheered me up enough to put the smile back on my face before I entered the Academy's doors for the final time.

…

…

…

"Naruto? What are you doing here?"

"What's a runt like you doing here?"

"Hey! Where did you get that headband?"

"I beat he stole it."

These were all things that the kids were saying about me, but I paid them no mind. Although, on the inside… It still pained me to hear them. It wasn't until I sensed Sakura-Chan's chakra, I started paying attention to what was going in the room. I turned my head to the right and saw the beautiful Sakura-chan run into the classroom with her rival, Ino, in tow. When she spotted my seat, her whole face lit up before she ran full speed towards me.

"_She brightens up my day."_ I smiled before standing and waving at my crush.

"Good morning Sakura-chan!"

"Out of my way, Naruto." She said as she shoved me out of the way. "Good Morning!"

"_What the hell?"_ I rubbed the back of my head before standing up.

"_**Get away from me."**_

When my eyes finally focused on what Sakura-chan was looking at, I felt a growl emerge from my throat. _**"It's Sasuke. It's always Sasuke."**_

Without thinking, I hopped on his desk and squatted in front of him. I could hear and feel the anger coming from almost all of the girls in the room, but it wasn't about them. It's about knocking this bastard down a few pegs. We didn't share a spoken word. I could feel electricity flow between our glaring faces. Both of our ears pointed to the sky. The fur on both our tails stood on its ends. Both of us ended up hunching over the desk as we practically stood face to face in an intense glaring match.

"_**Get out of my face." **_Sasuke growled, showing his sharp fangs to me.

"_**You get out of my face." **_ I growled back, showing my even longer and sharper fangs.

"_**Dobe."**_

"_**Teme."**_

This match between us didn't let up until I felt someone hit my back, forcibly knocking me forward and onto Sasuke's lips. Time seemed to stop at that moment. The guy I despise is ironically the same male I was kissing at that very moment. After fully realizing what was happening, the both of us pulled apart and begun to gag. Part of me has never felt so disgusted, but the other part… didn't really mind it all.

"_**Oh Naruto~"**_ I heard Sakura sing.

Slowly turning my head, I actually saw the hate radiating from everyone of his fangirls. "Hi… Sakura-chan. Ino. Everyone." I nervously waved at the crowd of fangirls. _"Oh __**now**__ she notices me."_

"_**You're dead meat!"**_ The girls growled before launching themselves at me. I quickly jumped over them and ran out of the Academy as fast as I could. _**"NARUTO!"**_ The girls yelled.

They were right on my tail. _"Damn these girls are fast."_ I ducked behind trashcans, dove into ditches, climbed trees. I did anything that kept me safe from their wrath. In a desperate attempt, I ran back to the Academy and hid in the boy's bathroom.

"_**Where is he?"**_

"_**I thought I saw him come down this hallway." **_I heard Sakura announce.

"_**Spread out! We need to find him. Fox Boy must pay for stealing Sasuke-kun's first kiss!"**_ Ino said, causing all of the girls to cheer.

I waited until I couldn't hear them anymore before I mentally cheered. But, as soon as I exited my stall, my victory was short lived when one of the girls, who tried to sneak into the bathroom through the window, spotted me. _**"I FOUND HIM! HE WAS IN THE BOY'S BATHROOM!"**_ The red head shouted before I made a break for the classroom again.

The door was in my sites. I just wanted to be able to get into the classroom so that I could lock them out. I made a jump for the door. I was so close, but when I felt someone grab my tail, I fell to the floor with a thud.

"_**We finally got you Naruto… You beat us to Sasuke-kun's first kiss, so now we're going to beat you."**_ Sakura-chan sneered as she tried to drag me by my orange tail. Pain shot from my tail and through my spine the harder she tugged. _**"Stop stalling. You're only making it harder on yourself."**_

What she said was true, but I still hung onto the door for dear life. With one final tug and thanks to my iron grip, Sakura pulled me and the door of its hinges and down the hallway. The door clung to me like a second skin.

"Hi Naruto." Iruka-sensei nervously smiled and waved with his dolphin tail curved behind him and a cup of water in his right hand. "Rough day?"

"Can't you tell?" I nervously smiled back, still hanging onto the door.

"I'll see you in class!" My sensei smiled for entering the room.

"_**Let's see if you like kissing Sasuke AFTER being dragged into the girls' bathroom, you trouble making fox boy."**_ A brunette girl smirked.

I gulped hard when they dragged me into the girl's bathroom and shut the door.

"**NOT THE TAIL!"**

…

…

…

After I pulled myself together, I dragged myself back to class and sat down next to Sakura, who totally ignored me and tried to flirt with Sasuke.

"So what do you think Sasuke-kun? Wouldn't it be fun if we winded up on the same team as each other?" She cooed.

"_**Sakura… Shut up."**_ Sasuke-teme growled.

"_Bastard. I hate the way he treats her."_

"_**Why do you care? She just beat you to a pulp for "kissing" that bastard. Shouldn't it be… oh I don't know… kind of a turn off?"**_

"_It kind of is, but no one should be treated that way."_

"_**What about you?"**_

"_I'm different. Sasuke has no reason to hate Sakura. All she wants to do is love him, but he won't let her."_

"_**You're too kind Naruto. You better be careful… That can get you killed, and I don't want that to happen." **_I didn't ignore my guardian, but I didn't respond either. The sound of Iruka's voice brought me back to reality.

"Congratulations! Everyone here has earned the privilege to graduate from the Academy and become Genin. On this clipboard are the names of the three-man teams and their Jonin captain. Starting with Team 1 we have…" I kind of tuned Iruka at that point. I couldn't help it. Most of those kids were the ones who inherited their parents' bitterness toward me and acted on me. Those were also the ones I didn't make an effort to talk to them in the first place. "Ok. Now as for Team 7, who will be led by Kakashi Hatake, we have the following, Sasuke Uchiha…" When _**his**_ name came up first, everyone held their breath… even me. "Sakura Haruno…" My breath was still being held, but all the other girls groaned and cried as the pink haired bunny loudly cheered. "And finally Naruto Uzumaki. Your sensei is running a little late so he asked for the three of you to remain in the classroom after everyone else has been dismissed." When I heard my name, I mentally cheered.

"_Now I can finally show Sakura that I'm the better guy for her instead of Sasuke."_

"_**Don't get your hopes up, Kit."**_

"_Why do you always have to ruin my mood?"_

"_**One: That's how I get my daily entertainment. Two: Because, as your parent, It's my duty to give you a dose of reality every now and again."**_

"_Gee. __**Thanks, Dad**__."_

"Alright As for Team 8, who will be led by Kurenai Yuhi, we have the following: Kiba Inuzuka and, of course, Akamaru, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame. You three are dismissed. Kurenai-sensei is waiting for you outside." Iruka announced.

I laid my head on my desk as I watched Kiba and that Shino beetle guy leave. "Um… Naruto…?" I heard a timid voice call out to me.

I raised my head to see that it was Hinata Hyuga talking to me. Out of all the girls, she's the most shy. During my childhood, she had been the only one that would willingly talk to me before her Father banned her from doing it again. She's really tough, but doesn't have that much self confidence in her. But then again… What can you expect from a mouse. If only she could believe in herself a little bit more, Hinata would be the most attractive girl in the village. Even more attractive than Sakura-chan.

"Oh hi Hinata." I lightly smiled at her, causing her whole face to turn red.

After realizing that she was blushing like crazy, she quickly turned away from me. "I-I-I j-jus-st wa-wan-wanted to s-say… g-good l-luck."

"You too." I nodded before watching her scurry out the door.

"And now, since the senseis for Team's 9 and 11 are currently unavailable, the six of them will come with me to another classroom. So the last team to be announced is Team 10, who will be led by Asuma Sarutobi. The members for Team 10 will be: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and finally Choji Akimichi." Iruka announced.

"**WHAT? How in the hell did I get paired up with these two and not Sasuke-kun? Billboard Hare can't even **_**do **_**anything! How did **_**she**_** beat me?"** Ino yelled.

"I'm sorry Ino, but that's how things have to be. And, although what you said about Sakura is true, her test scores are a lot higher than yours. That's how she wound up on Sasuke and Naruto's team instead of you. Now, would you please go and meet your sensei outside please."

The look on Ino's face stated that she felt like going on a rampage. Without saying another word, Ino stumped her way down to Sakura's desk.

"_**Look here, Sakura. I may not be with Sasuke-kun now, but I'm warning you… If you lay one finger on Sasuke-kun… I WILL KILL YOU. Do you understand me?"**_ Ino growled at her rival. Her pink pig ears standing on edge while her curly tail flicked back and forth in anger.

"_**Oh I read you loud and clear Piggy, but let me be the first to apologize. I'm sorry… Sorry that you had to be told that you're dumber than Naruto in front of the class, Ino. Hope you don't throw a hissy fit when you attend Sasuke-kun and my wedding. Bye-bye."**_ Sakura laughed at the flaming girl before watching the blond pig stomp away in a fit of rage. _**"Oh and Ino, do us all a favor and stop giving into your pigging out cravings. Those bandages aren't covering a thing."**_ I cringed at my crush's laugh.

"_She sounds like a crackling witch."_

"_**You like THAT girl? Think of the children, Kit. What if they have her attitude? We might end up killing each other."**_ Kyuubi cringed.

"That's enough, Sakura. Let's not forget that it was _**Ino**_ that scored higher than you in the jutsu category." Iruka warned, effectively bringing the gloating girl from her high.

"**HAHA! TAKE THAT YOU ARROGANT BITCH!"** Ino laughed.

"_**Good bye Ino."**_ My sensei growled while trying to push Ino out of the door. "Alright. Those of you who I didn't call, and Naruto, please follow me through this door."

"Why me?" I asked.

"There's something I want to talk to you about." He smiled. I got up and pocketed my hands before following my second father out of the classroom. He waited until we were out of ear shot before speaking. "Ok Naruto, I just wanted to tell you that since you're a Genin now, I won't be able to watch over you as much anymore. I want you to be safe and cautions. Take things serious, but have a little fun too. Listen to your sensei and _**please~**_ _**try~**_ to get along with Sasuke. Remember what I taught you 'Teamwork is Everything.'" Iruka said with concern and worry in his voice.

I smirked before placing my hands on top of his. "Don't worry Iruka. I'll be fine. I'm a big boy now. I will do everything in my power to make sure that I take the necessary steps so that I can become Hokage… the right way." I smiled before hugging the dolphin man. "Thank you for your concern though, Iruka-sensei."

"No thank you… Naruto." He hugged me back before tearing himself away and strolling down the hall. "Now go back in there and wait for Kakashi to arrive."

I nodded before turning back toward the door.

"_**My little boy is growing up."**_

"_Shut up you over dramatic fossil fox."_ I smirked before opening the door.

Inside, Sasuke-teme was now sitting in the first row with his head down while Sakura-chan kept trying to flirt with him. I just shook my head before taking a seat at Iruka's desk, propped my feet up, and waited for my new sensei to arrive. The smirk never left my face.

…

…

…

**Time Skip Until After the Meeting with Kakashi**

"_Man… What's Sasuke's problem. And who's this person he wants to defeat? Man, he scares me."_ I pondered as I sat on top of a building.

"_**Give him a break Naruto. If you actually take the time and observed him, then you would've seen that he's alone too."**_

"_Really? Wow~ I had no idea. But… that still doesn't give him the right to act like a total bastard." _I huffed.

"_**You don't know?"**_

"_Know what?"_

"_**Sasuke was around seven years old when he saw his older brother, Itachi Uchiha, execute his entire clan. Leaving Sasuke and himself as the only remaining Uchiha in the world."**_

"_Wait a minute… Sasuke actually __**watched**__ his clan be killed?"_

"_**It's a lot more difficult than that, but yeah, pretty much."**_

"_So then, Itachi must be the one Sasuke wants to kill. But Kyuubi, why didn't I know about this? Especially something as huge as an entire clan being whipped out."___

"_**The only reason you didn't know about it was because we were still living in the forest at the time."**_

"_Man… When you put it like that, it actually makes me feel sorry for the guy."_

"_**Don't do that. What he hates the most is pity and fangirls. The way I see it, both you and he have similar backgrounds. Why don't you use that and your brute strength to get through to him, you know get to know him a little."**_ The fox winked.

"_Whoa. I'll settle for being his friend, but I don't wanna date the guy."_

"_**That's not your mind is telling me."**_Kyuubi smirked.

"_Be a good parent and stay out of my thoughts!"_

"_**I am being a good parent by invading your personal space. Now look, there he is. Why don't you start "getting to know him" while I probe your mind a little bit more."**_

"_Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if Kyuubi hated me."_

…

…

…

After I fought, defeated, bound, and gagged Sasuke, I used my chakra to transform myself into him. _**"You don't mind if I run around in your shoes for a little bit do you?"**_ I smirked as I got a good look in the mirror at my new appearance. My fox ears and tail have been turned into black cat ears and a long black tail. My hair was no longer blond, but raven, with blue highlights, and made to look like a duck's ass. _"Nice job. If I do say so myself."_

I turned to my struggling captive and laughed as I hopped onto the windowsill. _**"Why don't you stick around for a little bit and I just might come back." **_I laughed before hopping out the window and landing safely on the ground.

"_Man… It's great being this bastard."_ I mentally cheered as I strolled down the street. Everywhere I went, girls waved, blushed, and giggled the moment they saw me. I even made a few girls faint when I smirked at them. This was fine and all, but it wasn't long before I finally found that special person I was looking for. Sakura Haruno.

"Hi Sakura." I smirked.

"Hi S-S-Sasuke." She stuttered with the cutest blush on her face and her ears perked upward.

"_Too bad it's meant for Sasuke and not me."_

"Sakura… There's something I would like to ask you. Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked.

"Sure Sasuke-kun." She yelped before rushing to clear the area next to her and lightly dust herself off. "What was it you wanted to ask?"

"What do you think of Naruto as a person?" I asked with seriousness in my voice.

"I don't like him. He's rude, dumb, nerve racking, a pest, and all around annoying. When we were kids, he had the nerve to tell me that he liked me. I was so furious at him, but I was also mad at myself." She answered with irritation in her voice.

The words she spoke broke my heart. _"Does she really feel this way about me?"_

"_**I'm sorry Kit. The truth hurts sometimes, but we have to hear it or else we end up living in disillusion. And, in my opinion… reality hits harder when you're in that state of mind."**_

"But you know Sasuke…" She started, bringing me away from my thoughts. "All I ever wanted was to be knowledge by you." She smiled sweetly.

"_**Bitch."**_ Kyuubi barked.

"You… want to be… knowledge… by… me…?" I said in awe.

She nodded. "In fact… I would kill everything in my path just so you could recognize me as an equal…" She trailed off as she brought her lips closer to mine (Sasuke's).

"_This is all fake. I know this. But at the same time… I don't think I've ever been happier than I am right now. I think it's because we both want the same thing. To be accepted by someone. I think that's why I like Sakura so much."_

**Grumble, Rumble**

I quickly grabbed my stomach in pain before jetting off to the nearest bathroom.

"**WHERE ARE YOU GOING SASUKE?" **She called.

"**I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!"** I replied.

When I finally found a bathroom, I locked the stall and sat on the toilet.

"_I can't believe she thinks that bad of me."_

"_**I'm sorry you had to hear that Kit." **_I didn't say anything, just collected my thoughts. _**"So what now?"**_

"_I'M NOT GIVING UP! TOMORROW, WHEN WE TRAIN WITH THAT OLD WOLF, KAKASHI-SENSEI, I'LL SHOW SAKURA THAT I'M __**WAY**__ BETTER THAN SASUKE! THEN SHE'LL SEE THAT SHE WAS WRONG THIS WHOLE TIME! ABOUT ME!" _I cheered.

"_**Oh Naruto… You really are a hopeless idiot… But then again if you weren't a hopeless idiot, then you wouldn't be you, wouldn't you?"**_

…

…

…

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

After I freed myself from the ropes Naruto had bound me with, I began searching for said fox like a mad man.

"_How the hell did that dobe defeat me and steal my first kiss all in the same day? He even used a Multiple Shadow Clone Technique to defeat me with? He couldn't even create __**one**__ shadow clone in class, so where the hell did all those Naruto's come from? Just who the hell is this Naruto character?"_

After an hour of looking, I stopped at a water fountain and took a water break before deciding to walk back to class. I was only a few minutes away from the Academy when I spotted Sakura.

"_Sakura? Maybe she saw Naruto… But then again I __**really **__don't feel like talking to her, but I need to know where Naruto went. Oh well, here I go." _I took a few more steps before she squealed. _"Ouch my ears."_

"_**You're back Sasuke-kun. I hope that you're ready to continue where we left off."**_ She cooed.

"_Left off? What __**exactly**__ did Naruto do with her while he was in my body?"_

I took a deep breath before speaking. "Where's Naruto?"

"There you talking about Naruto again. Why are worried about that idiot? He's nothing but a troublemaking, loudmouth boy who doesn't have any sense at all. And you know _**why~**_ he doesn't have any sense?"

"_I'm pretty sure you're going to tell me either way." _I rolled my eyes.

"It's because he's alone." She answered.

"Alone?"

"Yeah. Have you ever notice that he does whatever he wants to because he has no home training. He grew up alone and that's how he's going to die. No one likes him. Never has, never will. I wonder what gave him the idea of even attempting of becoming Hokage? But sometimes I wonder where are his parents. They probably ran off knowing that their son was going to be a failure. Ha, I bet Uzumaki isn't even his last name." She laughed.

I lowered my head, allowing my bangs to cover my black eyes. _**"Sakura…"**_

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She blushed.

"_**Shut the hell up about shit you know nothing about. You say that Naruto is annoying, well in my personal opinion… I think that he's not half as annoying as you."**_ I hissed before continuing onto the Academy.

"_I had no idea that Naruto was so similar to me in a lot of ways. No wonder he acts like a smiling idiot all the time. He's trying to mask the pain he feels from the wrath of the children and adults everyday. Hn. Now I'm interested in him."_


	4. Kakashisensei Ugh

**Chapter 3: Kakashi-sensei… Ugh…**

**Iruka's P.O.V.**

Today was Naruto's first day of training with his new sensei, the silver wolf Kakashi Hatake. I was a little worried when I had heard that Mr. Hatake's passing rate was zero. But when Naruto told me that his team was the first to pass, I practically suffocated him with my love.

"_I always knew that that boy was special."_

As I walked the darkened streets, I laughed a little at Naruto's description of his training session.

"_Training with that pervert was hard! Sure he passed us, but he treated it as if it was a joke. Then Sasuke-teme tried to be all cool when he was just being a bastard. And the worst part was seeing Sakura-chan fawn over that him the whole time. But despite everything that's happened… I'm still not giving up on my dream of being Hokage! Believe it!"_

I didn't realize how late it was when I started to make my way home. I hastened my step, but while doing so, I accidentally bumped into something hard. Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me.

"_**Are you ok, Iruka-sensei?"**_ A deep voice asked.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the most handsomest man ever. Both Kakashi and I have served together a lot in the past, but I never really paid attention to his physical features. He had tall, gravity defying silver hair, moonlit pale skin, deep black eyes, a fit, lethal body, and silver wolf ears and curved tail. I hadn't noticed it, but when I finally realized that I was blushing like mad, I scurried to get out of his arms before dusting the imaginary dirt off of my clothes. "Thanks, Kakashi."

"What are you doing out here so late? I would think that the Academy's best instructor would be at home resting up for the next day. Out of all the senseis here, I think you use the most chakra and energy when dealing with the new students every day."

"I was just on my way home, but since you're here, I need to talk to you." I said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Sure. How about we talk while I walk you home." I nodded before walking off. Kakashi got the hint and followed me. I felt nervous for some reason. I had to try and compose myself if I wanted to make this conversation sound professional. But right when I opened my mouth to say something, Kakashi started to speak."You were wondering what I thought about Naruto and his team's skill's right?" The wolf spoke.

I just gawked at him. I had no idea he knew what I wanted to talk to him about. "How the hell did you know what I was going to say?"

"What else would you want to talk about. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with catching up on old times, right?" At Kakashi's words I nodded. "Awe. You're cute. Tell you what… How about you meet me at Ichiraku's tomorrow at 7pm, so that we can "discuss" Naruto's future of being a ninja or Hokage. Don't be late. I know I won't…" He winked before walking off. "Oh and you're welcome."

"_You're welcome? What did he mean by that?" _With my hands on my hips, I looked around to see that I was standing at the front door of my apartment. I was confused. Kakashi had managed to walk my home and rope me into a date with him without me noticing right off the back… As I stood there, confused, the same question kept replaying in the back of my mind…

"_**WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?"**_

…

…

…

"Good morning, Iruka-sensei. How was your night?"

"It was fine, Lord Hokage." I replied as I sat at his side.

"Good. Now here are the missions I need your help with assigning." The Third smiled as he handed me the papers.

I began my work, but it seemed as if my body was on autopilot. The whole time while I was working, I kept thinking about my date with Kakashi last night. I was very surprise when Kakashi Hatake, the Shinobi most famous for his tardiness, was actually on time. We ate, talked about Naruto and Team 7, he flirted with me a little, and we laughed. He even paid for my dinner before roping me into another date, but this time I actually agreed. I had a lot of fun. He walked me home afterwards. When we said our goodbyes and parted ways, I actually thought about my reason for agreeing to the second date with Kakashi. I hadn't noticed it, but ever since Naruto entered the academy… I've been single. Usually, I would be too busy watching over Naruto to care about that, but now that someone else is watching over Naruto… I can't help but to think that there's this void in my life. I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that I've been lonely for so long?

"**I HATE THESE MISSIONS!" **I heard Naruto screech before he busted through the door.

The owner of the cat squeezed her pet before paying and leaving. I cringed the whole time along with everyone in the office.

"You three did a great job with that mission. Now, it's time for the next one. We have a babysitting job, some pregnant women need help with their shopping and things while their spouses are away, there are some animals that need to be taken care of~"

"**BORING~!"** Naruto loudly sung as he folded his arms. "These missions suck! These aren't missions, they're tasks disguised as missions to try and fool Genin into thinking that they're doing something important when they're really doing stuff an academy student can do. I want to do things that are a little bit more challenging! Don't you have anything better for us to do than this lame ass shit?"

"_**Naruto~"**_

"It's alright, Iruka. I can handle this." The Third spoke before getting up and walking around the table. "So, Naruto… You say these missions suck. You say that they're lame, right? Well then, could you please explain to me as to _**why **_I, the Third Hokage, should trust you with something a little bit more difficult?"

"Look, old man… I know that, because of past experiences, you don't think that you trust me to take anything higher than a D ranked mission seriously, but you're wrong. I'm not the brat that used to pull pranks to get attention anymore. I'm a Genin now. And having people know that is recognition enough for me to grow out of that phase. I need to be challenged if I ever want to have the abilities it takes for me to become Hokage. And if you interfere with that… _**Then you don't deserve to be Hokage anymore.**_" Naruto glared at the Third.

The room went silent. I could tell that there was confusion and tension in the room. I, on the other hand, was proud of Naruto's speech. During his academy days, Naruto used to be a goof ball that snuck out of class and pulled pranks every chance he got. But now, staring at this Naruto, with the Leaf headband on, I had saw just how much he has grown. And I know that he he'll continue to grow… I just hope that I'm there to watch it all.

"Can he do that?" "Did that brat just insult our leader?" "Naruto, you baka! How could you say that to the Hokage?" "Lord Hokage, he must be punished." The others in the room said, but Naruto just ignored them and continued with his glaring.

"**ENOUGH!"** The Hokage ordered, effectively quieting the whole room. "Naruto Uzumaki… In all of the years I've lived with the title of Hokage, never have I ever been talked to like that. And it is because of your insulting words that I am willing to make a deal with you." Lord Hokage smiled.

"Seriously?" Naruto gasped.

"Lord Hokage! Are you insane?" "You can't reason with the nine~"

"_**Utter the rest of that sentence and your head will be served to me on a silver platter!"**_ The old monkey threatened before turning back to my former fox student. "Naruto… I'll make you a deal… If your team can complete this C ranked mission, then I will start giving you four more C ranked missions in the future. Deal, Fox Boy?" Lord Hokage held out his hand with a smile.

"Deal, you old monkey fossil." Naruto smiled as he shook his hand.

"Good. Now, your mission is to be bodyguards for a bridge builder while you escort him back to his country in the Land of Waves. Good luck on your mission Team 7. Oh and Naruto… you might wanna watch your temper. This rhino man maybe old, but he's feisty." The old monkey smirked before signaling the client to come in.

The smell of alcohol and sweat filled our sensitive noses as a darkened tanned skinned rhino man leaned against the door frame. "These are the people who are supposed to protect me?" He slurred before taking another swing at this liquor. "They look like a bunch of idiots and inexperienced children. I think I'd rather feel safer with a bunch of daisies as my bodyguards than those three."

"_This is their client? I just pray that Naruto remembers that he's supposed to __**protect **__ this man, not kill him."_

"Just who the hell are you?" Sasuke asked as he stepped closer to the drunkard.

"The name's Tazuna, and I'm the one who had put in the mission request. If I had known that I would've gotten you three, then I wouldn't have put in the request in the first place. Oh well, what's done is done. I will be waiting at the gates for you four to pack your shit and tag along. You have an hour to be at the gate. That's how long it'll for take me to get drunk to tolerate you guys. I'm out of here. Remember what I said." The rhino said before he stumbled out o the room.

"We're supposed to protect _**that**_guy? What a joke." Sakura grumbled as she and the rest of Team 7 left the room.

"_This outta be interesting to hear about when they return."_

…

…

…

"Done." I sighed before looking at the clock.

When I realized that Team Kakashi had about ten minutes left before they left, I decided to wish them luck. When I walked outside, my feet carried me to an apartment.

"_This isn't Naruto's apartment. I wonder who lives here?"_

"_**Iruka? What are you doing here?"**_ I heard a deep voice ask.

I turned around and looked up into Kakashi's eyes. "Kakashi? Is this where you live?" I mentally smacked myself for asking that.

"Yes. Yes it is. Ok, now that I've answered your question. Can you answer mine?"

"Oh." I didn't know what to say, so I just said the first thing that came to mind. "I'm just here to ask if you could give Naruto a message. I would give it to him, but I'm running late, and I just so happened to be walking by…"

"Calm down, Iruka. There's no need to be nervous around me. I know I'm handsome and all that jazz, but you don't need to be intimidated by my looks." He smirked.

Standing this close to him, I never realized how much taller Kakashi stood to me. I was about 5'8, but Kakashi stood about 6'2. I blushed and turned away from him with a pout on my face. "Can you just give Naruto the message or not?"

I felt him turn me around with one hand on my shoulder. _**"Anything for you."**_

"_Oh that voice."_

"Well could you tell Naruto to please behave and be safe while you guys are on the mission. It may only be C ranked, but no Shinobi should _**ever **_take a mission lightly."

"Don't worry, Iruka. I'll give Fox Boy your message. Now onto more pressing matters. About our date tonight… it seems that because of this mission I can't take you, but don't worry. The minute I come back, I'll treat you to an extra special date. How's that sound?" The wolf smiled before using his clawed hand to pat my head as he walked passed me. "Now you be good, ok. And I'll see you soon."

I turned around and watched as he walked away with his silver tail swishing back and forth in excitement. I don't know why, but that Kakashi sure knows how to put a smile on my face. _"Sometimes I wonder about that man."_

…

…

…

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Ah damnit!" Naruto hissed in pain as he fell to the ground again. "I'm so close. I have to keep trying." He groaned before trying to run up a tree trunk.

Out of all the people I've ever met, Naruto Uzumaki is by far the most determined person I've ever met. No matter how many times he gets injured or knocked down, he never stays down. I hate to admit it, but Naruto is starting to become one of the few that I admire. He's just as dedicated to his training as I am. The only difference is that I'm doing it for revenge. He's doing it for a dream he has. During the fight against those Demon Brothers from earlier, he did a pretty good job of defending himself and attacking one of the brothers. It wasn't impressive, but it's more than Sakura did to say the least. I still can't believe I had to save her scared ass because she refused to move. She's smart, but weak and scared as hell.

"Sasuke-teme? What are you doing up there? Are you watching me? I bet your trying to steal all of my awesome cool ninja moves, huh?" He yelled from below me.

"_Scratch that. I take everything I said back."_

"No Dobe. I just felt like sitting up here to get some thinking done." I sighed keeping my cool.

"Tsk. Whatever. Just stay out of my way, teme. I don't need my rival interfering in my training." He grumbled as he removed his jacket.

For some reason I felt the need to swallow hard when I recognized a thin layer of sweat roll down his forehead, chest, and developing muscles. For anyone attracted to him, the navy blue wife beater left little to the imagination. My eyes narrowed on him as my brain registered what he called us.

"Rivals? Where did you come up with that?"

"Because that's what we are teme. We're rivals in strength, abilities, and power. But mostly… we're rivals when it comes to reaching our goals. I want to be Hokage. You want your revenge on Itachi Uchiha for murdering you clan~"

"How do you know about that?" I gasped.

"I heard about it from my guardian. Believe it or not, I know what it's like to grow up alone. I had to fiend for myself since the age of seven. And when I found out that you were alone too… it only seemed fair to make you my rival. You're the only one who's on the same background level as me. We're the only ones of our generation who knows suffering like we do. I'm not asking to be your friend, despite if I want to or not. I'm just letting you know that I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to loneness."

"What are you talking about Naruto? You're not making any sense."

"What I'm trying to say is that just because you're alone, doesn't mean you can walk around here acting like a bastard all the time. Try smiling sometime. Who knows, maybe you might actually attract someone you like without scaring them off. Now if you excuse me… I have my training to get back to. You don't have to leave, but you do have to stay out of my way while I train. It's distracting." He said, never turning his back and tail from me.

I watched as he threw his jacket over his shoulder and pocketed his hand before returning to his training. I sat still on the branch while letting his words sink into my head.

"_He knows so much about me and yet, I know damn near close to nothing about him. There's no doubting that he has the potential and chakra to become a good ninja, if he were to focus a little bit more. He actually might be able to push me to my limit and then some. He might actually make a good rival. Maybe he has what it takes to make it to my level… Just maybe… he might even surpass me. But, I won't let that happen."_


	5. Getting Wrapped Up in Naruto

**Warnings: **Kissing. Things will speed up, but I'll put in how much time has passed.

**Chapter 4: Getting Wrapped Up in Naruto**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Man. I'm bushed. What about you? Kakashi-sensei knows how to wear us done, huh?" Naruto asked while we walked to his apartment.

"You wouldn't be so tired if you didn't keep eating that junk all the time, dobe." I smirked as I walked with my hands in my pockets.

"What are you talking about? I can kick your ass up and down this street even after eating ten bowls of ramen, teme."

"That junk isn't healthy to eat every day." I informed.

"Well when you don't have options, you have to rely on what you can eat to survive." He mumbled with his head turned away from me.

I didn't push the subject any further. I don't know how, but after our mission in the Land of the Waves, Naruto and I have become friends. I would help him try and court Sakura, but everything would be in vain. She's only focused on me, though I wish she wasn't. I actually feel sorry for the guy, especially when he's on the receiving end of one of her punches. I told him to give up, but he just says: "One day I'll get her.". I looked over to the blond fox and observed him. I never realized it before but we're the same height. We're both 5'5 while Sakura is 5'3. It's actually funny.

"We're here." Naruto called, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"What?"

"We're here. Want some tea?"

"Yeah sure." Naruto led me into his dump of an apartment before heading to the kitchen to make our tea. He told me that his apartment wasn't the greatest, but I didn't think it was this bad. "You actually live here?" He nodded. "Why?"

"This was the only place I've lived since I was seven. I can't really afford to live anywhere else. It's not like anyone would let me stay anywhere else anyway." He whispered the last part, but I still heard it. I still can't figure it out, but I've been wondering for a while as to why everyone hates Naruto. At first I thought it was because he was annoying, but now I think that it's so much deeper than that. "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

While he was gone, I had some thinking to do. When I first studied Naruto, he seemed like a determined knuckle head, but when I look at him now… he isn't a total knucklehead. I have to admit that I started off admiring him for his determination. That admiration turned into respect when I saw what he could actually do in battle and in training. It's good to know that at least I can depend on one of my teams if our leader wasn't there. But ever since that mission with Haku and Zabuza… I felt like I needed to get to know Naruto. I wanted to see what made him tick.

**Flashback to After the Battle with Zabuza and Haku**

_The fight was over, the bridge builder and his family was safe, Haku and Zabuza are dead, and Naruto got a bridge named after him. We were waiting for me to finish healing before we could leave. Today, I was laying in the room Naruto and I shared. It still hurt to move, so all I can do is lay here and wait for my wounds to heal up._

"_Hey teme… How are you feeling?" Naruto asked as he sat next to my bed. He's been the only company I've actually enjoyed out of all my teammates. When Kakashi comes in, it's an awkward silence, but at least I can sleep. When Sakura comes in, all she does is talk. It's annoying. But when Naruto comes in, he just sits there and let's his tail flick or his ears twitch. But even those are quiet. He'll check on me every so often, but other than that we stay in a comfortable silence. I didn't think he could be so quiet. Whenever I obverse him, Naruto always seems lost in thought. I always wondered what he could be thinking about._

_On the three day, I decided to ask him something that's been on my mind for some time now. "Hey Naruto… Why did you save me? And what was that power you displayed during your fight with Haku? I've never seen anything like it. Where did it come from?"_

_He looked at me for a little bit before answering. "That power isn't something I can talk to you about, but as for why I saved you that answer is simple. It's because you're my teammate and my rival. Remember what Kakashi-sensei said? 'Those who don't complete their mission are disgraceful, but those who do not save their comrades are scum'. Or something like that. But it's much deeper than that. I wanna be Hokage, but how can I be someone so important, or a true ninja for that matter, if I can't even save one person? I can't… And plus… if I did let you die, than everything the villagers say about me will be true. Besides… how am I supposed to get stronger if my rival is lying in a tomb six feet under." The blond fox smirked._

_As I laid there on the bed, I let everything say sink into my head. This lone fox was someone I could defiantly see eye to eye with. I haven't had that since my childhood. It kind of felt nice to have someone who understands you. _

**Flashback Over**

From that day forward I made it my mission to see just how well Naruto and I were alike. Little did I know that the more I got to know the idiot… the more I started to like him. I'm not stupid. I know what a crush is… it's just hard for me to admit it sometimes. It's been a good month or so since our last day in the Land of the Waves. Getting to know him was effortless, but difficult at the same time. He didn't open up like I thought he would, but it was… fun… getting to know him. It's actually easier to talk to him, than anyone else. But it's not like we're sharing every last secret, but we've come to learn quite a bit about each other. I don't know. I guess if anyone ever found out that I have a 'crush' on Naruto and they asked me why… I guess I would have to say that it's because me and him are similar. But I bet that the more time I spend getting to know him, my crush will go away in due time. After all it's not like we've ever kissed, on purpose, or seen him naked before. And the day that happens… I don't really wanna think about it.

When I looked outside, it was really dark. "What's taking so long?" I got up to knock on the bathroom door, but stopped when I saw a light coming from the crack in his bedroom. I opened the door to see a half-naked Naruto with droplets rolling down the muscles in his back and shoulder blades. I swallowed a lump in my throat at the image before me. Like I said, I never seen Naruto naked before, but this is pretty damn close. I felt my ears flatten against my skull while my tail twitch and flick automatically.

"_What's wrong with me?"_

"Oh, sorry it took so long Sasuke. I had to shower when I accidently spilled mouthwash on myself. I was all sticky and smelled of mint, which wasn't bad, so I used the water and soap to clean myself." He nervously explained as he scratched the back of his damp hair.

My eyes were on the teasing drops that traveled _**slowly**_ down the front of his toned chest and onto a strange looking tattoo. "Why didn't you towel dry?" I asked in a shaky voice.

"Oh I never towel dry. I like to air dry. I don't mind going to bed a little wet. Just like I don't mind going to bed shirtless." He answered with a blinding smile.

"_Now that isn't far."_

"Ok then." I said as I turned away with a blush.

"Hey Sasuke… Remember when you told me to give up on Sakura because she's too busy stuck on you to notice me?"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean to make it sound that harsh." I confessed as I took a seat next to him. We were facing the dark window.

"I know. It's ok. You probably got tired of seeing me get hit by her." We both laugh lightly before he continued. "Well I got tired too. So… I'm giving her up. I can't compete with you Sasuke."

"Are you doing this because you think I should accept her fake feelings?" I asked.

"What do you mean fake?"

"Naruto, I get confessions daily from girls who 'love' me. I don't believe them. The moment they knew I was an Uchiha, all they see is power and wealth. That's why I hate the fact that I can't hide who I am. That's why it's annoying being me." I mumbled more to myself. "The point is, is that I don't believe you gave up on courting her because she's "in love" with me. You're too passionate about everything you do to give up cold turkey like that. So tell me Naruto… why did you give up on Sakura?"

Naruto bit his lip as he thought about his answer carefully. "Well it's also about experience. Sakura is pretty so I thought she would know how to kiss. That makes me have doubts. What if she hates me because I'm a horrible kisser." He freaked.

I sighed before placing my hand on his shoulder. This was one of those times I had to be a good friend and calm him down. "Naruto calm down. There are two things I have to say about your theory. One… I'm pretty sure she wouldn't hate because you were a bad kisser… although I could be wrong. And the second one is that she's never kissed any other person before."

"How do you know, Sasuke?"

"If she really has kissed anyone before, than she probably wouldn't be trying so hard to get me to kiss her." I explained.

"That makes since." He laughed at my logic, causing me to laugh too, before everything died down and got quiet again. "Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?" I said as I turned to him while leaning back on my two arms.

"Did you ever kiss anyone after we technically kissed?" He nervously asked. I just shook my head, afraid that some unwanted phrase will come out instead. "Would you like to kiss?" I looked at him with widen eyes. I was not expecting him to ask that. "It's not like that. I just want to see something. It's kind of like an experiment for me. Please Sasuke. It'll be quick. Please." He begged.

"Alright Naruto. One kiss wouldn't hurt." I sighed in defeat.

I felt nervous when Naruto cuffed my chin between his thumb and curled fingers. Shockwaves cascaded down my spine when I felt him run his clawed thumb over my bottom lip. Both our eyes were half-lid as he pulled our faces closer. The connection was slow and steadied, but gentle when our lips finally touched. His lips were softer than I could ever realize. They fit perfectly against mine. I felt him pull me closer, by my waist, while I practically gripped the dampened golden locks. When his tongue flicked out to lick my lips, I gasped, giving him an opening to insert his tongue. I don't know how, but our tongues started to move against each other, with his tongue leading the entire time. When we started to feel light-headed because of lack of oxygen, Naruto and I pulled apart while panting. We blushed and immediately pulled when we realized that we were still holding each other. Things felt a little awkward as the silence stretched on. It wasn't that I didn't like the kiss, it was more of I can't believe how much that one kiss could affect me.

"I'm… going to head home." I announced as I stood up and walked around to the door.

"Wait. I'll walk you to the door." We walked in silence until we stood at his front door. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. We have some more training tomorrow. I think at seven. Don't be late." I warned.

"I promise…" We just stood at his front door, staring at each other for a minute before I turned around. "Goodnight."

"Yeah good night." I mumbled back as I walked home.

…

…

….

That night, I laid in bed staring at the ceiling. All I could think about was that kiss. _"The kiss felt weird but in a good way. It was actually a lot nicer than the first one. I kind of want to do it again ."_ Ironically, tonight was the first night in a few years I hated going to bed alone.

**Author's Note:**

**Poll Info:**

**First Poll:**

Recently, I've come to the realization that I've become obsessed with NaruSasu or Naruto all together. All of my new ideas have been for Naruto. So to kind of give myself more of a variety, I've opened this poll to ask for your opinion. I have five one-shots for the choices on the poll, obviously, ready to be typed, like I've mentioned above. I just wanted to hear from you guys first. I feel like, as an author, I wanted to get more involved with my fans/readers/reviewers. Call me sensitive. Anyway, the rules for this poll are: You have until June 20th, 2011 to decide the winner for the top two one-shots. You can choose up to two choices. Now, if you pay attention, there will be an 'Other' choice for you to pick. This button is for people who don't like any of the other choices and want to see me post a one-shot for another anime/manga/game/cartoon. Now the rule for that choice is, if you choose that choice, then you must provide me with the name of the anime/manga/game/cartoon and an idea for it. I'll have it ready and maybe add it onto the list of choices. Another rule is that, if you decide to choice the 'Other' choice, then you must make sure that I am familiar with said anime/manga/game/cartoon. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem since all I do is watch/read/breathe that stuff. Lol. Anyway, happy voting and remember… I WANNA HEAR FROM YOU GUYS!

**Second Poll:**

In this poll I just wanted to see which couple(s) you guys found the best out of all the stories I've written. Don't worry about some of the choices. I have one-shots ready to be posted when the time is right. I will also add more couples. You can chose up to 10 couples. Also don't worry about the poll closing anytime soon. On June 21st, 2012 I will be closing the poll. Happy voting. But, since I can only put one poll at a time, this poll will be posted on June 21st, 2011.


	6. Let Me Be Your Boyfriend, Sasuke!

**Warnings for This Chapter:** It gets fluffy, you may need a tissue. Possible short chapter. Make sure to pay close attention to the time skips in bold.

**Author's Note:**

I am so sorry for not updating this for almost two months. I know a lot of you are wondering if I was ever going to finish this. Well you don't have to worry. I didn't just sit on my ass and update/ finish my other stories, I've been doing some rearranging and organizing. My life became a little hectic which in turn messed up my updating. But no need to worry anymore. I've done some readjusting and everything should go smoothly from now own. I will direct my attention solely on the four in-progress stories I have so far without starting a new one. I've learned my lesson. So here's the plan. During the weekdays I will be updating "Let's Only Try It Once", "My Missing Love", and "My Fighter, My Lover, My Life". The weekends will be dedicated to my "Secret Kingdom Hearts" story. Now that I'm back on track, I'll be able to finally update like I want to. So thanks to everyone who's been patient with me. I won't disappoint you any further.

Oh and for anyone who's interested, I have a brand new poll on my profile asking which couples you guys liked from any of my older, current, or upcoming stories. The winner will have either an entire story, or one-shot dedicated to them. The poll will be closing July 31st, 2012. Have fun voting. Oh and if you're also curious as to who won my last poll it was InuYasha and Final Fantasy XIII (13). If you want to see the one-shots for them, they're on my profile. And thanks again for voting.

P.S. I'm dedicating this fanfic to my friend PhoenixDiamond.

**Chapter 5: Let Me Be Your Boyfriend, Sasuke**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

**(1 Week Later)**

It's been a full week since Naruto and I kissed each other. At first, I had blamed the whole thing on the dobe and his experiment. It was awkward being around each other. It wasn't that it was uncomfortable, but at the same time it wasn't the nicest feeling in the world. By time we walked away from each other, we would always sport blushes. I've done everything I could to hide it, but it keeps coming out every time Naruto's around. Each night, I'd toss and turn in my bed. There was something about sleeping alone that bugged me now. A year after my clan was eliminated by Itachi, I was ok with sleeping alone. But, after being near Naruto the night… I felt like I had a place in the world.

Ever since my brother murdered our clan, I've thought of nothing except revenge. Having Itachi's head as my own personal trophy is something I've long awaited. But, after getting to know Naruto and actually befriending him, I started to see things in a whole new light. Through some weird way, Naruto has shown me the brighter side of the world. He was the one who pushed me further than I could ever push myself. Everything he does just seems to make me squirm with uncomfortably when I'm alone.

I've long admitted to myself that I had a crush on the moron, but I never knew he could affect me like this. Every time he laughs or does something stupid I find myself laughing along with him. When Sakura hits him for no reason, I feel the urge to hit her back. Whenever we're alone or when he gives me a real smile, I find myself almost dropping my guard. I feel weak kneed. I can't stop the blushes. My heart feels like it's going to explode from beating too fast. I don't know what's going on, but I wish for it to stop. It gets aggravating knowing that this blond hair nimrod can cause so much trouble with the little things he does. These feelings have been surfacing ever since that little experiment a week ago. There were many nights where I would just lie in bed and think about how I could get rid of these feelings. I didn't want them. They would only make me lose focus in my goal and make me weak. How can I defeat Itachi if I was hooked by some sappy emotion.

"Great job today team." Kakashi said as he clapped his hands, successfully snapping me out of my thoughts. "Now it's time for skill evaluations." We moved to sit in a semi-circle with me in the middle and our Junín standing in front of us with a clipboard in his hands. "Naruto, you improved the most today. All you need is a bit more work on your ninjutsu and your hand signs. Sakura, you need a _**lot**_ more of work on your taijutsu and handling your weapons. Sasuke… you seemed distracted today, but you were still able to perform above the level of any genin. I guess I'm not _**too**_ worried about it, but just be careful not to do that while in battle, ok?" After critiquing us, Kakashi made the clipboard disappear in a puff of smoke. "I feel so proud of you three. Tomorrow, we'll work on your weaknesses and I you all improve, then I'll treat you to Ichiraku's tomorrow."

"Yes!" Naruto cheered.

"Thank you, sensei." Sakura smiled widely.

I didn't really reply as my eyes traveled over to Naruto. He had left our semi-circle to lean against a boulder. Beads of sweat trailed down his face and disappeared under his jacket. Probably realizing that his jacket was overheating him, the blond fox removed it, showing off his toned biceps, forearms and blue wife beater. "Alright then. It looks like the sun's setting. Naruto and Sasuke, you'll be fine on your own. Do you want me to walk you home, Sakura."

"No that's ok Sasuke-kun will~" I had walked away from the pair and headed towards Naruto, not caring if I hurt Sakura's feelings.

As I neared the blond, my heartbeat and trembling started to gradually increase. This was one of the side effects of being around Naruto. I didn't understand it, but I didn't embrace it either. His head was thrown back, exposing his tanned neck, eyes closed, and his thick hair was blowing in the breeze.

He must've sensed me coming because he jerked awake before looking at me. "I wasn't sleeping. I was… meditating." He lied. I didn't say anything as I went to kneel in front of him. The confusion in his sparkling sky blue eyes had my mind scrambled. Before my mind had time to catch up with my body, my hand reached out to clutch his wife beater and pull him close to me. "Sasuke…?" I didn't answer him. My eyes traveled to his full pink lips before I leaned in to kiss them.

The kiss wasn't anything special. It was just a small lip lock. When I pulled away, he had a shocked expression while held red cheeks. "Damnit. It didn't work." I grumbled to myself. I thought that if I kissed him again, then this spell Naruto has over me would disappear, but I was wrong. In fact… I think that I may actually like Naruto more than I originally did. It felt like I wanted more to him. I felt confused,

"What was that for?" He asked.

"I was just testing something."

"What were you testing?"

"It doesn't matter. It didn't work anyway." I grumbled to myself as we stood up.

"Oh…" The moment between us was awkward. I was too deep in thought to really care what Naruto was thinking. I was even too distracted to notice Naruto walking away. "Hey Sasuke?" I turned my eyes from the ground to meet Naruto's gaze. "Do you wanna come over to my place for some tea?"

Something told me not to go, but I ignored it. "What do I have to lose."

…

…

…

What was supposed to be a calm night, drinking tea with my teammate, turned into a full, heated make out session in said teammate's room. Everything seemed like a blur. I only remember entering the house, drinking tea while Naruto eat his noodles. Everything went semi-blurry after that. We somehow made our way from the small living room to his bedroom. Even now, as we kissed each other senseless I'm still wondering how we ended up in the middle of his bed with me sitting on the edge of his lap. Nothing made sense, but I was too distracted to really care at the moment.

It was weird, having Naruto tug at my bottom lip with his fangs, but somewhat pleasurable. "Sasuke." Naruto whispered against my lips before kissing them again. His arms tightened their grip around my waist. One of my hands clutched at his black wife-beater while the other was buried within thick blond spikes, occasionally scratching his orange ears.

Through my dazed eyes I could see that our tails was wrapped around each other. I could barely see my silky tail twisted around his tail's thick fur. I opened my eyes when I felt Naruto's lips and tongue leaving mine. I saw his mop of blond hair and orange ears travel lower. He went from my cheek to my neck and finally ending at my collarbone, pulling down my collar so that he can have more access to it. He nibbled at it with his teeth before moving to suck on it.

"Naruto." I heard myself moan lightly from this action. I started to breathe heavily into his hair as I gripped him harder. When I felt one of his hands move toward my shorts, my mind and body were finally reconnected. I grabbed his wrist before turning my eyes to stare into his.

"What's wrong?" He whispered against my lips, but not kissing them.

"I think we should stop. I… I've never done anything like this before. I'm not ready… Besides, don't you think we should slow down? Everything is going too fast. I still can't figure out how we ended up like this." I confessed.

I saw him thinking about what I said before he sighed. "You're right." His arms never let my midsection. I saw him turn his head toward his window, but my eyes remained trained on his tanned skin, blond hair, and orange fox ears. "How about you stay here for the night. It's pretty late. You shouldn't be walking the streets. Especially considering who you are." He said as he turned to face me.

"Ok."

With his help, I slid all the way off of his lap and fell back onto his pillow. I felt content there. I didn't want to move. I don't know what it was, but I felt at ease as I laid in Naruto's bed. I felt him pull the covers over us before settling in behind me. "Hey Sasuke. Can I tell you a secret?" I only nodded my head, but I don't know if he saw. "I've never done _**that**_ before either. I know a little bit about it, but not enough to even do it. I was actually hoping that you'd stop it. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable." He sighed as he continued to shift behind me. I tensed up a bit when I felt his arm drape over my waist. "Sasuke…? Do you like kissing me? I know I'm not the best, and you can say no if you want to. I just want to know the truth."

I didn't answer right away. I did like kissing Naruto, but I didn't know if I liked the way he made me feel. I don't understand it. Everything that has to do with Naruto confuses me. If I want to answer all of these questions, I'll have to take it one question at a time. Starting with this one.

"Yeah. I guess I do."

…

…

…

I closed my eyes tightly when I saw the sun through my eyelids. I usually rise with the sun, but today was different. Today, I was too comfortable to move. I wanted to stay here forever. I somehow felt warm and secure. I haven't felt this way since the massacre.

"_Itachi stole the only security I had. But somehow this feeling was back. I wonder why?_

Curiosity got the better of me. I slowly opened my eyes and saw that I was lying on my blond haired teammate's chest. One of his arms was around my waist while the other was under his hair. My head was resting on both of my folded arms. My legs were curled off to the side while his left leg was bent upward. Our tails remained tangled together as they rested between us. My up body moved up and down with each breathe Naruto's body took. My first thought was to move away from him, but my body refused. I turned my head to stare at his face. His mouth was slightly opened, a little trail of drool running from the side of his mouth to his chin, his snores were light, and his eyes were lightly closed. He looked so peaceful. He usually looked tensed, even while he smiled. But now he looks like he was at peace with himself.

"_I wonder what he's dreaming about? Ramen no doubt."_

Feeling a little like a stalker, I stretched my arms out before rising slightly to leave. But the moment I moved, his arm tightened its hold around my waist and brought my down onto his chest. I turned to growl at his sleeping form, but stopped when the scent of vanilla and cinnamon caught my attention.

It surprised me greatly. I thought the dobe would smell of ramen and salt. The smell was intoxicating. I found myself burying my nose in his neck, trying to memorize his sweet scent. I never liked sweets or sweet things, but this was sweet with roughness. Naruto was far from delicate. He was the definition of brawn and no brains. But, somehow… his scent brought the two together in perfect harmony.

"Sasuke…" I heard him moan lightly in his sleep. I slowly moved to lean over him in hopes that he would say it again. "More ramen please. And remember to skip out on these nasty tomatoes you love some much." He snorted before returning to his snoring.

My eye twitched before I moved away from his face and tsked. _"He can smell like heaven for all I care. He's still a brainless dobe."_

I wasn't mad or disappointed, but happy either. I could feel heat rising in my cheeks, but chose to ignore it as I thought of a way to get out of Naruto's hold… even if I didn't want to.

I unwound my tail from his before removing his arm from my waist, immediately shivering from the lost of warmth. Carefully, so that I don't wake him up, I slowly climbed out of the bed. I held his wrist in my hand and gasped when I saw his fingers stretch before finally clapping onto my wrist. I started to hold my breath when I saw him sit up. "You can't go Sasuke…" His blue eyes were dull as they turned to stare at me. I thought he was awake. "You still have my ramen." And with that, the heavy dobe fell backwards onto the bed and went back to lightly snoring.

I rolled my eyes before covering him with the covers again. When I was sure that he was still sleep, I slipped my wrist from his grip before silently putting on my sandals and exiting his apartment.

There were barely any people out this morning, which was good. I didn't feel like dealing with my fangirls right now. I was too conflicted. I've trained myself to not get close to anyone. Getting hurt again was the last thing I wanted. I've managed to keep myself shut off from those girls, but Naruto demolished my first outer wall at an early age.

Ever since I met him at the age of seven, he's evoked so many emotions within me I thought that I would explode. He makes me want to do better, despite knowing that I am better than him. He's given me another reason to wake up. I remember waking up and thinking of ways I can show him up. I remember not caring about all the cheers I would receive each time I defeated him. I remember feeling smug each time I kicked his ass. I remembered the warmth I felt every time that idiot would get right back up and challenge or yell at me. I remember the anger I felt every time the other kids would 'boo' or degrade him. Naruto, all of the kids at that academy, and I are training to become Shinobi. We each go through the same training. We are all a part of the same upcoming generation of ninjas. So why did they treat him so different? Why was Naruto the outcast while I was praised for even blinking. I've always thought that was only treated that way because he was an idiot. But after getting to know him, I now know that there is more to the story than anyone's telling. No matter how much I didn't want to admit it, Naruto was no different than me. And spending all this time with him has shown me that.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I, literally, ran into my front door. I pulled my key from my front pocket and used it to unlock my door before entering and locking it behind me. I sighed as I looked around my house. It was cold and lonely. I don't like being here by myself. When I'm asleep, I can still here the hustle and bustle and the laughter that used to fill this house. I mostly come here to eat, sleep, bathe, and train. Most of the time I go to the training grounds to sit in my tree. Other times… I'm at my parent's and Itachi's grave. I knew that Itachi wasn't really dead, but the big brother I used to love is. The day Itachi took everything away from was the day he was no longer my aniki. I shook my head free from those memories before heading upstairs.

Once upstairs, I stripped myself of my clothing before hopping in the shower. I let the warm water run down my spine, chest, shoulders, legs, face, hair, ears, and tail. I felt cold. The water I was under was a poor substitute. I wanted to recapture the heat from earlier. The heat of having someone to wake up next to. The heat of having someone else's body heat engulf you. Naruto's heat.

…

…

…

**1 Month Later:**

This past month has been somewhat enjoyable. I'm still confused on my feelings toward Naruto, but I'm taking it day by day. Lately, things between Naruto and me have changed. We would still eat at Ichiraku's once a week and train, but something was different. It seems as though we're spending a lot more time together. I've been finding myself liking Naruto's company. My opinion on the blond fox has almost completely changed. He still acts like a happy moron, but it's nowhere as annoying as I thought it was. I've even caught myself chuckling or smiling at little things he says or does.

There are times when we could come to the training ground to train by ourselves. He's actually getting better. I've managed to teach him a few things and vice versa. After exhausting ourselves, we would collapse onto the ground and cloud watch. Pointing and laughing at some of the shapes. Sometimes we would sit on his roof and cloud watch from there. We wouldn't really talk, except when describing cloud shapes to each other. We would forget the past, the future, the present, the people, the animals, everything. We would only focus on the clouds and sometimes each other.

I remember when we first fell asleep while cloud watching. I was the first to wake up and noticed that our tails were once again wound together. This was something normal to us now. But what got me was that our fingers were linked together too. My mind said pull away, but my body didn't listened and I didn't care. So, I just laid back down and went back to sleep. We were woken up by little droplets of rain. By time it started to poor, we were drenched as we rushed inside. Not noticing that our hands were still laced together until we got in. I was cold, wet, and shivering after we stripped out of our close. Naruto lent me some of his closes, which were a little too big, and a towel. I dressed before drying my hair with a towel. Naruto only dressed. When I asked him why, he only said that he liked to air dry. I called him an idiot before drying his hair for him. One thing led to another and soon we found ourselves back on his bed, making out again. After I rejected him from going too far, Naruto didn't cross that line again and stuck to just kissing me and sucking on my collarbone or biting my ears. Once we got tired of kissing, we just laid on Naruto's bed and let the rain lure us into sleep. The next morning… I waited for Naruto to wake up instead of leaving. He walked me home and that was the last we saw of each other until that afternoon.

No matter what we did that day, no matter where we went within the village, no matter who we were with, at the end of the day… it would always end up with us making out at his house and with me spending the night.

You can call this relationship between Naruto and me anything you want to, but I still can't decipher it myself. All I knew was that Naruto was some type of drug I was slowly and gradually becoming additive to.

…

…

…

Today, we had a mission. Sakura and I were assigned two old ladies to take care of for the day while Naruto was in charge of cleaning up the Academy. Kakashi said that he was going to help Iruka with 'tasks'. Today went off without a hitch, except I kept seeing Sakura at every turn. But one thing kept bothering me… Why wasn't Naruto helping out with the old ladies? Why did he have to clean up the Academy? Maybe Kakashi had to give him something to do since there were only two old ladies that needed our help.

After I finished with my client, I wanted to head over to the academy to help Naruto out. When I was getting ready to leave, the woman offered me ten dollars. I declined, but she insisted. Not really trying to argue with her, I took the ten dollars and left.

"Sasuke-kun!" I heard Sakura yell. I turned my head to see her running up to me with a pinkish blush and her pink hair and white rabbit ears flopping as she ran. "You're finished already?" She 'innocently' asked.

"Yeah."

"Oh. Well I'm done too." She blushed while pausing, leaving an awkward silence between us. I was about to leave when she spoke again. "So I was wondering… Do you want to go to Ichiraku's with me? You know, just the two of us?" She blushed harder while twirling one of her long pink locks around her fingers.

"What about Naruto?"

"He'll only mess up the evening with his loud annoying voice and attitude. Besides…" She approached me and started to stroke my arm. Her touch was cold and unsatisfying compared to the ones Naruto has given me. _**"Wouldn't it be better if it were just the two of us having a nice quiet date?"**_ Her voice suggested that she was trying too hard to flirt with me, which she was.

I glared at her before yanking my arm away. _**"I'm busy."**_ I turned and walked away from her.

"Oh ok. Next time then?"

I didn't answer as I kept walking. Soon I arrived at the academy. Naruto had just taken out three big bags of garbage before settling on a lone swing. Over the past couple of years, I've noticed that Naruto would take to that same swing and sit for hours, alone and deep in thought for hours. A frown made itself known on his features.

"_I wonder if a treat to Ichiraku's would cheer him up?"_

I started to make my move toward the swing, but stopped when I saw three boys approach him.

"Awe look. Naruto Uzumaki, the "next Hokage", is sitting all alone on his stupid little swing. Hn. Serves you right. You deserve to be liked or have friends. You're worthless, just like your life." A blue haired boy laughed.

"_**Go away. I don't have time for little punks like you."**_ Naruto glared at them.

"Did you just insult us?" Another boy with black hair said.

"_**Look. I've got better things to do than sit here and listen to you idiots belittle me like some type of idiot. Now if you excuse me… I have a life to get back to. Why don't you losers get one since you're so bothered by mine."**_

And with that, Naruto got up and pocketed his hands and started walking away. Despite spending so much time with him, Naruto never ceases to amaze me. I'm learning something new about him every day. As the days pass I'm learning that there is more to Naruto than the goofball he allows everyone to see. This Naruto was serious and almost threatening. I never thought that I would be able to see such a persona within Naruto.

Right when I was about to move to catch up to him, my ears caught the sound of a rock being thrown. I turned my head to see a rock, the size of a hand, being hurled at the blond's head. I was about to call to him, but stopped when I saw Naruto catch said rock without even looking. He turned his head to glare at the rock before crushing it in his hand. My trained eyes followed each vain as they appeared on his hands before disappearing. Once the rock turned to dust, Naruto turned his blood chilling glare toward them.

"_**You're starting to piss me off."**_

I could tell that the boys were scared. "Throw more rocks!" A red haired boy yelled.

And that's what they did. They threw more rocks. Naruto didn't move. He just stood there and took it. He used his arms to protect his face, but that's all he did. Was that one he caught just luck, or is he doing this on purpose? I had to stop it. I summed up a little bit of my fire jutsu before blowing it underneath their feet. They scurried and ran for home as the flames started to spread. With a smirk of satisfaction, I walked over to the flames and stomped them out. "You can thank me later, dobe." I smirked but received no reply. "Naruto?" I turned my head to see that Naruto was lying unconscious on the ground. "Naruto!"

I ran over to him before rolling him onto his back. There was blood and a bruise on the corner of his mouth from where a rock must've hit him really hard. His hands and wrists were scratched from the rock assault. "Naruto, you dobe. Why didn't you fight back?" I sighed before throwing one of his arms over my shoulders and lifting him up. I had some difficultly, but I was finally able to get comfortable enough for me to carry him. "After this, no more ramen."

…

…

…

After I dragged his ass back to his apartment, I dumped him onto his bed before finding his first aid kit and started to clean and dress his wounds. Right when I took a cloth to whip away the blood on his mouth, he started to stir.

"Where am I?" He groaned.

"At your house. I dragged your unconscious ass back here. Oh and by the way… no more ramen from now on. You're too heavy to be lugging all over Konoha." I grumbled to myself.

"Oh sorry." He nervously said as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head.

There was a silence in the air between us before I finally decided to say something. "Why didn't you defend yourself, Naruto?" I sighed as I placed the kit onto his nightstand.

He didn't answer for a while. And when he finally decided to say something, he turned his head away from me and toward the setting sun. "What difference would it have made?"

"What difference? You could've kicked their asses and showed them how tough you really are. You didn't have to sit there and take that rock beating." I lightly scolded.

Naruto never turned to look at me. "It would've made things worse. They wouldn't have stopped and I would be proving everyone right."

What Naruto said made me tense. "How long has this been going on?" My voice was almost a whisper as I gazed down at his sadden blank features.

"… Since I was seven. I was never wanted by anyone even as a baby. I've had to survive on my own since then. Ramen is one of the cheapest things I can afford to eat. But, because of being such an outcast, most of the time I would go hungry… especially if there weren't any animals around Konoha for me to hunt. Unfortunately, the beats were more frequently than finding food. Sure they had hurt at first. But after a while you get use to them and learn that if you take them instead of fighting back and keep smiling even through the pain, then you're life gets a little bit easier." He faked smiled at me. It was that smile that pulled at my heartstrings.

"So the acting like an incompetent, smiling idiot~"

"Was just a façade I created to hide from the world. If I continued to act like that, then maybe the adults and their children will eventually tire and leave me alone. It's working so far, but there are still people who are frustrated and scared and the only way they feel better is if they take it out on me." He sighed before sitting up. My eyes were staring at the wall by his door, but I could tell that his eyes were staring at the wall across from his bed.

"Even adults do this? You would think that adults would be the more sensible ones." I sneered.

"One would think, but you'd be surprised. The women are the least to worry about. They only run, scream, glare, sneer, or harshly whisper in or behind my presence. The kids don't really know why they hate me, but they still follow in their parent's footsteps without question. The men were the ones who used to beat me the most until I was nine. That was when the Hokage said that if anyone was caught bullying me, then they would be sent to prison immediately. That stopped the men, but not the kids."

"Is that the real reason as to why you didn't have friends in the Academy?" I asked.

"Well, I did have three: Shikamaru, Kiba, and Choji. We were the best of friends until their parents found out that they were hanging around me. Their parents ordered them to stop being my friends and to never speak to me again. Kiba was never that bright, so he obeyed his folks without question or explanation. Shikamaru and Choji didn't really care, but they had to respect their elders' wishes. I was alone again and miserable~" I tensed and lightly gasped when I felt him snake an arm around my waist. I turned my head to the side to see that his eyes were still focused on the same wall. "Until I met you. At the age of nine, the thought of taking my own life was getting stronger by the day. But when I met you, by the dock, and you glared at me, it made me feel better inside. So I made it my duty to make sure that you recognized me… even if it meant acting like an idiot."

What he said made my heart pound in my chest. I never realized how important I was to Naruto. I felt myself relax against his loose hold as I turned my attention back to the wall by his bedroom door. I bit my lip, already regretting asking this question."Naruto? … … Why do people beat you? Why do they despise to so much?"

I felt his arm slightly tighten around my waist, but he never answered my question. I wasn't stupid. I could take a hint. I knew that I hit something sensitive within the blond fox's core. We sat in silence before Naruto fell backwards onto the bed, pulling me with him. I didn't object or resist. So, here we laid on his bed. His arm was underneath my torso while the other one rested on his stomach. I was on my side. He was on his back. I reached down to pull the covers over us. It was dark. The only light was from the moon beams entering through his window. It was peaceful, but I knew that he wanted to say something.

"Hey Sasuke…"

"Hm?"

"… … Knowing more things about me and knowing that I'm pretty much living a lie… If I were to ask you to go out with me… … … would you?"

I was very shocked at what he asked. Truth be told… that was the last thing I was expecting Naruto to say. I took a minute to contemplate a few things before answering. "Are you asking me out, as in a date? Or are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"

"How can you be so comfortable saying that?" He lightly chuckled.

"Just answer the question." I sighed in frustration.

"I guess… it's a little bit of both. But you don't have to. I was only wondering."

"Is it another one of your experiments?" I smirked over my shoulder.

"Possibility." He smirked back before turning over on his side. His front was so close to my back. I think this position is called 'Spooning' from what've read.

"… … I've trained mind in the art of shutting myself off from the world. After witnessing Itachi's deed all those years ago made me realize that I never wanted to be hurt like that again. I never wanted to form bonds with people, because in the end I'm scared that those bonds will break and leave me alone in the world again."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed.

"But… there's something about you that drew me in and now I can't leave. You forced a bond between us and somehow made it strong. Who am I to deny it?"

"English Sasuke."

"To put it simple…" I rolled over and stared into his eyes. "I'm ok with doing this if you are."

Even thought it was almost pitch dark, I could see a gleam off of one of Naruto's sharp canines. "That's great. But, how about we take it a step at a time. How about we go on a date tomorrow. Ichiraku's around seven?"

"I guess that's ok. Since that is the last time you'll be eating that junk."

"Says who?"

"Says me, if you want to make this experimental relationship work." I smirked.

"Can't we compromise?"

"You can argue all you want, but the answer is still 'no'."

We continued to argue for a few more minutes before deciding that we were both too tired to continue. I don't know how long it was before I fell asleep. All I knew was that before I fell asleep the last thing couple of things I remember were our tails being wrapped around each other, our legs tangled together, both of Naruto's arms arm around my midsection, our steady slow heartbeats, and, my most favorite, the scent of vanilla and cinnamon filling my scenes. I found myself inhaling his scent deeply before drifting off. Naruto was my addicting drug. I was hooked and high from it. But the most suspiring thing is that this is a drug no amount of rehab can cure.


	7. Let Me Love You

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Yaoi (touching, kissing, and all that great stuff). Realization. Sasuke yelling at Sakura. Sweet moments. The warnings from last chapter are wrong. They were meant for this chapter.

**Chapter 5: Let Me Love You**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

**(One Month Later: June)**

I was too comfortable and warm to moved, but I knew that I had to. I slowly opened my eyes to see that the sun was out and a nice cool breeze was blowing into the room from his opened window, which was nice considering how hot it's going to get. I rubbed the sleepy from my eyes and looked around. Naruto's clothes from last night were scattered around his carpeted room while the bag, I packed, was put neatly into a corner.

The sheets looked conflicted. They were neat and lightly covered my body while the sheets around Naruto were in disarray. His left leg and right arm were the only things uncovered. I didn't have to lift up the sheets to know that our tails were twisted around each other. Naruto was underneath me with one arm wrapped around my waist securely, the other was under his head, his right leg was propped up, and his head was turned to the side as he lightly snored. I was nested between his legs with my head resting on his chest and my arms curled at my side. Naruto was like a walking heater. It was nice waking up with someone… underneath me… even if the bed we were in was small enough to barely fit one person.

Ever since Naruto and I have started dating I don't feel awkward to sleep over at his house anymore. No matter how many times we slept in the same bed together, I never felt that comfortable waking up wrapped in Naruto's arms. I think the problem had to do with that fact that Naruto and I were acting like a couple, but didn't hold the title until now. Naruto and I have been going on dates, other than going to Ichiraku's. He's taken me to the movies before, but I'm the one who treats. I don't mind, especially considering his situation. When Naruto first told me about his eating situation, I started cooking for him. I used to cook for myself, or just get a lunchbox, but after Naruto took a bite of my cooking he became addicted to it. It was nice having someone other than me eat my cooking, but it was even better knowing that I finally got the idiot addicted to something other than ramen. Now the next task was getting him to eat vegetables.

Ignoring my body's protests, I slowly rolled over and looked at the clock. It read 6:30 a.m. We were supposed to meet Sakura and Kakashi at the bridge in two hours, but it takes an hour to get the dobe out of bed. The dobe was a heavy sleeper, which worked great when I wanna be the first one in the shower, but when he feels me moved his body immediately pulls me back to my original sleeping position. If we didn't have a mission or training that's fine, but on days like today it's troublesome.

After coming up with a plan, I slowly and gently removed my tail before sliding away from his hold on my waist, making sure to stop each time he stirred. I guess he must've felt me moving because his grip on my torso tightened before his other arm and tail came to wrap around me as well.

"_You're making my attempt at getting out of bed harder and harder each time you do that dobe."_

Right after I thought that the dobe smiled. It was like he could read my thoughts or something. I tried to wiggle out of his hold, but Naruto was just too strong. I was tempted to give up and go back to sleep, but my responsible side wouldn't let me give up. I looked for a weakness, an opening, something before it hit me.

"_Naruto's ears. He loves it when I scratch his ears. Maybe he'll let me go if I scratch them the right way."_

I was able to free my hand before reaching up to scratch behind his orange and white ears. Naruto's smile widen, his right leg started bouncing on the bed while his tail flicked under the covers in excitement. He was loving this. The more I scratched the more excited he got. After a few more scratches, his arms and tail finally released me. I didn't stop scratching until I was completely out the bed. When my hand stopped, he stopped and went back to lightly snoring as if nothing happened. I watched as he started reaching for me. He was about to wake up, but I stopped him by giving him the pillow I sleep on before magically moving onto Naruto's chest. He sniffed the pillow before sighing in contentment, turning on his side, and scratching his butt. After seeing this little action, I rolled my eyes without denying the smile that crept onto my face.

"_Even in his sleep, Naruto can make me smile."_

Shaking my head, I turned to grab my stuff before heading to his shower. I closed and locked the door behind me. It's a little habit I picked up since I, practically, started living with the blond. I let the water run for a little bit while I stripped. I slowly moved to stand under the spray before sighing in relief at the feeling of the clean water running through my hair, ears, and over my shoulders, chest, and tail. The only thing the landlord did right for Naruto was give him hot water. I felt my shoulders tense, my fists clench, and my teeth grind against each other as I thought about those bastards who mistreated Naruto.

Naruto was one of the best things that could've happened to me. He made me feel secure and, dare I say, happy. I don't think I've ever smiled or laughed this much in my life. This past year I've spent getting to know Naruto was adventurous. He's shown me that there is someone totally different under that smiling mask of his. He's been my rival and inspiration forever. He's been my teammate for about a year. He's been my best friend for about nine months. He's been my crush for six months. He's been my boyfriend for a little over a month, but he's been my love for two weeks.

Three weeks ago, I started feeling even stranger around Naruto. He's been bringing out more odd emotions. My stomach feels like it's knotting up, my palms get sweaty, my breath hitches, I get nervous, and my heart feels like it's about to burst. It usually happens at night, when we make out or after we're done. I just chalked it up to my body reacting to the way we kissed and gripped at each other, but it was more than that. I found myself feeling this way throughout the day. Whenever he would wrap himself around me, whenever I saw him coming to get me, whenever we would sleep together, whenever we were together. No matter what. As long as Naruto was involved, my body would react the same way. It was a week later, during one of our make-out sessions, when I found myself wanting Naruto to go further than just kissing or biting me. I want him to do whatever he was going to do to me two months ago. I tried to nudge him in the right direction, but he refused to follow my hints. I think he knew what I was trying to get him to do, but he stuck to his code of not touching me in that way. Sometimes I wish he would forget my rejection and throw caution into the wind. I can tell he wants it too, but he has more restraint than me. That was sad. Puberty was a horrible thing to go through, especially during moments like those.

Lately though, Naruto has been going to the Academy a lot. I thought that he was just simply visiting Iruka, but the other day, I caught him sneaking out of the bed, after he thought I was sleeping, before heading into one of those adult bookstores. He transformed into a random guy with canine appendages. The store clerk was none the wiser, in fact it looked like she was quite taken with the transformed Naruto. I felt a surge of jealously flow through me, but kept my cool and out of sight. Naruto was taking his time in the store, so I decided to transform into some random guy I saw walking the streets today with bird like appendages and went inside. The clerk tried to flirt with me too, but I just ignored her and moved to the same isle Naruto was in. I didn't want to seem suspicious so grabbed and pretended like I was reading while observing my curious boyfriend. When I saw Naruto looking at me, I quickly turned my head and went back to pretending to read my book. To my chagrin it was a book full of two guys doing it. I reminded me of the books Kakashi is always reading. After finding out what I was holding, I couldn't find myself able to put it down. I actually read some of it and found it quite… interesting. When I looked up, Naruto was handing the clerk his money for a couple of inexpensive books and one magazine. I panicked. I had to get back before him. I snuck out of the store, unnoticed before changing back into myself and rushing back to Naruto's apartment. Naruto wasn't back yet, so I climbed in through his bedroom window and pretended like I was sleep. A few minutes later, Naruto quietly walked in, hid the items he bought under his bed before settling in behind me. The next morning, when I tried to look for those books under his bed, they were gone. Naruto must've hid them again, but where? I couldn't give myself away by turning his house upside down. The only thing I could do was sit back and wonder what kind of books he bought. Ever since that night, I've always wondered if he bought those books to prepare himself for the future. When we finally decide to have sex.

It's a good thing that I'm attracted to him for than his looks. Naruto isn't the best looking boy in the village, but they're good enough for me. But it wasn't his looks that really attracted me. It was him in general. His eyes, his personality, this smile, his laugh, the way he can hold off on letting something faze him, the way he holds onto me and never lets go, the way he broke down my walls without really trying, the journey I'm on to break down his, the feeling of believing that he's only here to make me happy, the way he makes me feel. Everything about him makes me love him deeply. My fangirls think that I'm too proud to admit that I love someone, but they're wrong. I'm not too proud to admit that I love Naruto… I'm just too proud to say it first.

Naruto was the one who's slowly making me forget about my revenge against Itachi. He almost makes me want to forget what happened all those years ago and continue living a peaceful life within Konoha's gates… with him. Two weeks ago, I finally came to terms with the fact that I love the blond fox. People think that I'm too proud to admit that I'm in love. I'm not too proud to admit that I love and am in love with Naruto… I'm just too proud to say it first.

Naruto was the one who's slowly making me forget about my revenge against Itachi. He almost makes me want to forget what happened all those years ago and continue living a peaceful life within Konoha's gates… with him. It's thanks to Naruto that my rage is directed at other people besides my brother. The people I'm talking about are the people of the Leaf Village.

They mess with Naruto mentally and physically. I don't miss the frowns and sadness Naruto would display each time he heard someone spit hateful words at him. During most of our dates that aren't to Ichiraku's, Naruto would have to disguise himself as some stranger in order to be let in wherever we go. No one wants Naruto around. I still didn't understand the reason, but I knew it was true. Whenever we we're bored, Naruto and I would walk around the village. He would ask me where I wanted to go for our next date, but whenever I would walk past the place I could feel the tension between the owner or the employees and Naruto. He would tell me not to worry about him, but it's starting to become a part of my nature. Despite knowing he's not welcomed, Naruto would alter himself in order to be with me. I told him to forget about taking me to the place every time, but Naruto would just kiss me and reply _"Your happiness comes first, Sasuke. I would do anything to make sure you smile at least once a day. As long as you're happy, then I'll be ten times as happy. So don't worry about me. Just let me take care of you to the best of my abilities."_. That idiot is always concerned about others before caring about himself. He smiles in the faces of his abusers. He knows that he's not liked and yet he continues with his mask. I would get pissed at everyone who looked, talked, or messed with him. It wasn't right. Naruto hasn't done anything to these villagers, he was just born unlucky. My dislike for Sakura raises about ten percent each time she yells or hits him. I won't lie, she is smart, but she does dumb things. She part of the ignorance of these damn villagers. Just like the kids and the women. The two most vivid memories in my mind occurred two weeks ago. We were walking to the hill were we first met. Naruto wanted to sit with me on the little dock and watch the sunset.

**Flashback to the First Incident Two Weeks Ago:**

We could see the hill in plain sight when three kids approached us. One was a girl with fair skin, round black eyes, brown cat ears/ tails, and long red hair with two pigtails on each side while the rest of it draped over her shoulders and stopped at her breasts. There were two boys following her. One had short spiky black hair, blue eyes, a small green turtle tail, and pale skin. The other had shoulder length white hair, green eyes, blue fish fins on the side of his head and two long flowing tails, and tanned skin. They all disgusted me, especially the girl. I visibly shuddered when the girl screeched before running up and wrapping her arms around my left arm.

"Sasuke-kun! Did you miss me?" The girl screeched.

"No. Now get off of me." I glared before pushing her off of me.

After I pushed her off, she stumbled before falling into Naruto's arms. "You alright?" Naruto asked.

"AHHHH! Don't touch me!" The girl screamed before punching Naruto on the top of his skull.

Naruto hit the ground with a thud as he gripped the top of his head. "Naruto!" I rushed over to him and helped him up.

"Ewww! He touched me! He touched me! He touched me!" The girl screamed.

"Well don't touch us!" The white haired fish boy yelled as they backed away from their teammate.

I ignored them as I helped Naruto to his feet. "You ok?"

"Oh great! Just fucking great! First you taint me, now you've gone and touched Sasuke-kun! Nice going Demon Boy!" The girl yelled in frustration with her hands thrown up in the air.

"Come. Let's get you cleaned up before _**scent**_ lingers on you." The boy with black hair as he started to move away.

"Fine." The girl sighed before turning towards me with a smile. "You better hurry home too and wash away _**his **_ scent too before you have to burn your clothes too, Sasuke-kun!" She waved.

"Hn. I never liked Uchiha, but I feel sorry for him. I don't know what I would do I _**Uzumaki **_was on my team." The black haired boy said. "I think I would kill myself."

"And then he has the nerve to follow my Sasuke-kun around like the stupid, weak loser he is! The nerve!" The girl hollered.

I could barely see straight after what they said. My head started hurting when my Sharingan started to spin. I grunted as I let my hand hold my head while I deactivated my special eyes. Naruto's hands touched my shoulders and started messaging them to help me calm down.

"Hey. Don't let them get to you. I've gotten used to those kinds of people. What they say doesn't really bother me anymore. So calm down." He cooed close to my ear.

"How can you just ignore them like?" I yelled at him on accident.

"Because I know the truth. I know I'm not weak. I know I'm not stupid. And you know it too. Also long as we know the truth, nothing else matters. Alright?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just that~"

"I know. I know." He went back to messaging my shoulders until I lightly moaned at having the kinks worked out. "Feel better?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Good. Come on. We can still watch the sunset."

"No. I wanna go back home. I have a headache." I sighed before gasping when Naruto swept me into his arms and sped off to his apartment. I guess during the run, I managed to wrap my arms around his neck. I had to catch my breath from the speed Naruto was sprinting at. He finally stopped on his roof. "What are you doing, dobe? Someone could've seen and thought that you kidnapped me!"

"Relax. I made sure no one was looking before I carried you away."

"Well don't do that." I grumbled.

"Fine. I'll make sure to tell you next time I sweep you up again." He smirked.

"How about you don't do it at all."

"Says the person who's still in my arms." He smirked again.

I blushed when I realized that he was right. My arms were still wrapped around his neck while Naruto's arms were holding me him the bridal-style position. I quickly jumped out of his hold with a blush still present on my cheeks. I didn't have to turn around to know that the idiot was smirking. I was about to punch him, but stopped when Naruto pointed ahead of us. I almost gasped at the beautiful sight.

The setting sun looked so beautiful from up here. With my attention focused on the scenery, my rage from earlier melted away. Naruto pulled me to sit on the edge with him. I crossed my arms over my chest before leaning against him with my head on his shoulder. Naruto's arm snaked around my waist and pulled me closer. My legs were curled together on my right side while his dangled over the roof's edge. The sun wasn't finished setting by time I started to feel sleepy. I rubbed my eyes and tried to stay up, but I was losing that battle. I didn't want to say anything and ruin this perfect moment, so I willed myself to stay awake. I guess I must've feel asleep because the next morning I woke up at two in the morning on Naruto's chest. Realizing that Naruto must've carried me in, I shrugged my shoulders and went back to sleep, taking all of my worries with me.

**Flashback Over:**

That was one of the worse ones yet. There was another one, where these two women were talking about Naruto bringing me down and how they felt bad for me. I gritted my teeth. If it wasn't for Naruto stopping me, half this village would've been disintegrated already. And it's not getting better. I'm at my wits end. I want Naruto's and my relationship to go smoothly and be honest, but the people of this village are making it hard for that to happen. That's going to change today.

Today is the day I'm going to let Naruto come to my house. Sure he's been there, to walk me home and come get me, but he's never been inside. I'm not only going to invite him in, but I'm also going to let him spend the night. This is my way of letting Naruto know that there will be no secrets between the two of us. I have nothing to hide and I want Naruto to know that he shouldn't either. I know that there are things he can't tell me, and I won't force him, but this might make his forth coming a little bit easier. Today is the day our relationship starts changing for the better. With determination in my thoughts, I finished washing up and changed into my clothes.

…

…

…

In the room, Naruto was still sound asleep. I yelled, kicked, tugged, and smacked him, but he wouldn't wake up. Thinking of another way to wake him up, I hopped off the bed before blowing a little bit of onto his butt. When Naruto finally felt it, he jumped out of bed and started scooting his butt along the floor before dousing his butt with a glass of water.

"About time you woke up." I smirked.

"You lit me on fire?"

"You wouldn't wake up." I shrugged before walking into his kitchen and pulling out the pans and food I bought over for breakfast yesterday.

"So you lit me on fire? Sasuke, do you know what could've happened? I could've~" His voice trailed off when he caught wind of my scent. He stepped closer before pulling me closer and sniffing my neck. "You smell so good." He moaned.

"Get off of me and go get dressed. We have to met Kakashi and Sakura in an hour." I groaned as I pushed him off of me before returning to the stove.

"Whatchya cooking?"

"Eggs, bacon, and toast with a side of tomato for me. Now hurry and get dressed. I'm leaving in twenty minutes with or without you." Naruto sighed before walking back to his room. "Oh and Naruto." He poked his head from around the corner. "Pack an overnight bag."

"Why?"

"You're going to stay at my house tonight."

…

…

…

After breakfast, Naruto buzz around the house like a bee on steroids. He was checking, double checking, and triple checking to make sure he had everything before we left. We walked the streets, ignoring the glares, sneers, pity glances, and admiration glances, as we came toward the Uchiha Compound. I used my key to unlock the door before leading him inside.

"Whoa. You're house looks even bigger on the inside than the outside, Sasuke."

"It is. Come on. I'll show you my room. That's where we're sleeping."

We moved upstairs until we reached my room. It hasn't really changed since _**that**_ day. I packed up all of my old toys, along with my parents and Itachi's old stuff, and put them in the attic. I couldn't throw them away. They still meant a lot to me. I replaced all of my toys with weapons and training equipment. My curtains were navy blue with a giant version of the Uchiha Clan's fan in the middle, just like my comforter. An average sized closest and a door leading to my own personal bathroom. My room was clean and neat, just like the rest of the house. I made sure not to leave a spider web or dust bunny anywhere in the house. I had to find _**something**_ to keep me occupied.

"Nice room." Naruto smiled before dropping his bag and rolling around on my bed. "Your scent is all over this room. It smells nice."

"Don't mess up my bed." I groaned before grabbing him by the back of his jacket and dragging him towards the front door. "Let's go, dobe. Kakashi and Sakura are waiting for us."

"To hell with them! I wanna roll around in your bed some more!" He grunted as he stuck his claws in the floor to try and stop himself from moving.

"Stop clawing at my floors!"

…

…

…

When we arrived at the training grounds, Sakura jumped up and squealed before running towards me with hearts in her eyes while Kakashi just flipped another page in his book.

"I should've let you stay home and roll around on my bed." I groaned while holding my head, trying to control the headache affecting my brain.

"Told chya." Naruto groaned too. I bet he can feel it too.

" Hi Sasuke-kun!" The pink haired bunny smiled before colliding into me, causing us to fall to the floor.

"Hello Sakura." I rolled my eyes as she moved straddled my waist, her smile widening.

"Hi Sakura-chan!"

"Shut up Naruto!" She yelled before folding her arms over her chest.

"_10… 9… 8… 7…"_

I stated to count to ten in my head when Kakashi finally came over. "Glad to see that everyone is here. Sakura… you can get off of Sasuke now."

"Oh sorry, Sasuke-kun." She smiled trying to look innocent before finally getting off of me.

"Ok. Now that everyone's here we can get started on our training exercise."

"What are we doing, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"You and Sasuke will be sparring today while Sakura and I work on her everything."

"Awe. But Kakashi-sensei why can't Naruto and you train while Sasuke-kun and I go on a date- er I mean, train. I'm sure Sasuke-kun will have more fun training me than Naruto's annoyingly obnoxious slow self."

"_6… 5…"_

"Naruto and Sasuke are more compatible to each other, making them the perfect sparring partners. You, on the other hand, still have a ways to go before you can even reach Naruto's level. Understand?"

Sakura huffed as she folded her arms while turning her head to the side. "Fine. Whatever." She turn towards Naruto before raising out to grab the front of his jacket. _**"Listen Naruto. I can't train with Sasuke-kun because I have to get stronger than you, so listen up. If there's even on scratch on his perfect body, I will show you the meaning of an eye for an eye. Got it!"**_

"G-got it… Sakura-chan." Naruto nervously smiles, showing his long, white, pointy fangs. I felt my eyebrow, eye, and body twitch with anger.

"_4… 3…"_

"Good." She dropped him before throwing a 'sexy' smirk my way. _**"I'll see you when I'm finish, Sasuke-kun."**_ She winked. I felt like I wanted to hurl, but held it in.

"Bitch." Naruto glared as he got up and dusted himself off.

"You ok?" I sighed with my hand back on my head.

"Please. I've fought bears bigger than her. She's just a little girl. She doesn't really terrify me. Although, I do wonder where she inherits her strength from."

"Why didn't you show her that you weren't afraid of her?" I asked as we made our way to the clearing.

"Like I said before, if you show submission then things will go smoother than if you put your actions first. It's also an offensive/defensive technique. By showing your enemies that you're weaker than you really are, you make them believe your illusion. Make sense?"

I had to catch my jaw at what Naruto said. I smirked before moving to stand in my spot. "I keep forgetting that you're not always the idiot you make people believe that you are."

"I try." Naruto rolled his neck to rid him of the stiffness there. "What about you? Are you ok? I mean you looked like you were ready to rip Sakura's head off."

"She was pissing me off." I glared at the ground."

"Sasuke~"

"I know. I know. Don't let it get to me." I sighed. "I don't think I'll ever be able to do that."

"Hn. So… We gonna fight, or are you going to stand there and look at me all day." He smirked.

"_No matter what side he shows me, Naruto is still has a cocky attitude."_

…

…

…

We sparred for about two hours before we took a lunch break. Naruto and I sat close together. It would've been nice if Sakura wasn't trying to feed me every ten seconds. While we were eating, Sakura kept insulting Naruto, successfully pissing me off. I was grateful when Kakashi told us to get back to training. I had to work off some steam.

Naruto must've sensed my tension and tried to help me out. He made sure that all of my attention was on him and our sparring match. He would tease me, touch me intimately for a second, or kiss me. Anything to distract me from the anger Sakura and all those other villagers ignited within me. Soon it started to get dangerous. We each pulled out our kunais and started aiming them at each other. We were both exhausted and knew that this was the end. We each pulled out our last two kunais before aiming them at each other. I don't know how, but mines missed while Naruto's was dead on. His kunais sliced through my left arm and right thigh. The wounds were deep or life threatening, but they still hurt like a bitch. I hissed as I used my hands to apply pressure to my wounds.

"Sasuke?" Naruto rushed over to my side. "Are you ok?"

"What happened?" Kakashi asked as Sakura and he ran over to us.

Sakura looked down and saw my wounds.** "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SASUKE-KUN?"** Sakura screamed with a redden face. I could see it in her eyes, she wanted Naruto's head on a silver platter. Just like I wanted hers. If it wasn't for Kakashi, Sakura would've been beating Naruto as we speak.

"Relax Sakura. No need to go around ripping Naruto's head off because he injured 'your Sasuke-kun'." Kakashi rolled his visible eye before kneeling next to me. "Let me Sasuke." I let he look at the two slices on my body. "These are nothing, but I will put some bandages and some ointment on them to help the bleeding stop." Kakashi reached into his little pack and pulled out some green ointment and some bandages. After applying the ointment, Kakashi wrapped the bandages around my wound before standing up. "There you go Sasuke. All done."

"Alright team. Nice job. That's all for today. I'll summon you when you're needed again. Bye-bye." And just like that he was gone.

"Naruto you baka! I thought I told you~"

"_**Sakura."**_ I stopped her on coming punch with my glare and voice.

"Oh Sasuke-kun! I was so worried about you. I told Kakashi-sensei that it was a bad idea to pair you up with the incompetent idiot over here. Now look at what happened, you're hurt. Nice going, you baka." She sighed in frustration.

"_Got to calm down. Gotta calm down. Go back to counting backwards from ten. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…"_

"Why don't you just give up on being Hokage. Better yet, give up on being a ninja. You're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. This isn't a game, Naruto. This is serious and you treat it as a joke. You better quit before you get yourself killed or you kill one of us, dummy. In fact, why don't you just go home now and hang up your forehead protector. At least you can say you were able to be a ninja, but failed at it."

"_It's… not… working… 1…"_

"That's probably why your parents left you. They knew that you would be a failure. They didn't want a failure as a son."  
My eyes suddenly flew opened as I felt my Sharingan spinning. _**"Sakura…"**_ I heard her yelp before turning to face me.

"Sasuke~"

"_**Don't speak. You don't deserve to speak. You don't even deserve to be alive right now. You talk all this stuff about how you're more superior to Naruto, but have you really looked in the mirror lately? You're the failure, not Naruto. You're the useless one, not Naruto. You fail as a ninja, not Naruto. You're worthless, and that's all you'll ever be. You're a little girl who wants to run around and think that this is a competition for my love, well you're wrong. Like you said, this is not a game. This is real. You're the one who needs to hang up your headband and stay home. You're probably more useful in the kitchen than you are on the battle field, or do you suck at both? Here's a reality check Sakura. All these times you were putting Naruto down and trying to make him feel worthless was time you could've been using to try and improve yourself. You've said before that you wanted me to acknowledge you, well I finally did. I now acknowledge you for the bitch you are. I dislike you to the point of hating you. If you want me to notice you, then do something worth noticing. Get stronger or at least fight and stop with all the damsel in distress shit you like to pull. It's annoying and quite frankly… it's one of the many unattractive things I noticed about you."**_

I felt so enraged. All of my anger for her just poured out of my mouth and wouldn't stop. It felt good being able to get all of that off of my chest. I don't think I felt remorse though when I saw her run home crying. My Sharingan stopped spinning as I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

"Sasuke…"

"I'm fine Naruto. I just~"

I stopped talking when I felt his arms wrap tightly around my body. His jacket was opened and he was sweating. He smelt of sweat, cinnamon and vanilla. He smelt nicely addicting. He smelt like Naruto. I wiggled my arms from his hold to lazily drape them over his shoulders. We stared into each other's eyes before he leaned in to kiss me. We closed our eyes and got lost in the kiss. Our tongues didn't battle, they danced. I didn't feel angry anymore. I was calm and it was all thanks to this dobe. When we pulled apart, our eyes were half lid.

"Feel better now?" He asked.

I merely nodded before resting my head on his chest and closed my eyes. I felt so secure in his arms. It was almost as if nothing could hurt me. "Naruto… Let's go home."

I felt him softly smile before hooking one of his arms under my legs and carrying me back to my house… our other home.

…

…

…

After I finished cooking and after we finished eating in silence, Naruto and I headed to my room. We led on the bed and allowed only the light of the moonbeams to light up the room.

"Sasuke…"

"Naruto…"

"I'm sorry." We both blurted out in unison.

"What are you sorry for?" He asked as he turned on his side.

"I shouldn't have blew up at Sakura like that today. It's just that she was pissing me off all day today and~"

"I know. I know. You couldn't control your temper. I saw in your eyes." He smiled before pulling me closer. "I knew it was going to happen eventually."

"So why didn't you stop me?"

"Because, you would have been even more pissed off. I saw this a good opportunity to help you relieve some built up stress you had." He kissed my crown.

"Ok. So I know why I'm sorry, but why are you sorry?"

"For injuring you. I should've missed."

"It's alright Naruto. Just because I'm damaged doesn't mean I'm broken."

"No. It's not ok. I'm supposed to protect you, not harm you." He said before moving to hover above me. He looked at the bandage on my left bicep before rolling my sleeve up and kissing it. "I'm sorry for hurting you here." Then he moved to my right thigh before rolling my shorts up and kissing the bandage there. "And I'm sorry for hurting you here."

I my body started to tremble at the contact. Naruto has never been past my belt before. It felt… nice… He slowly raised his gaze to mine before crawling over me to kiss my lips. It was slow, almost timid. Like our first actual kiss. We were savoring each other. I wrapped my arms around his neck while his hands were running under my shirt and along my sides. It tickled a little bit, but I was able to hold it in. Our tongues danced again while my hands gripped his hair, one of his hands tickled my ears, and the other one continued to leave light touches on my torso.

I don't know how, but he managed to get my shirt off before I was able to get his hideously orange jacket onto the floor. He was in his navy blue wife beater as he attacked my collarbone and nipples. I moaned and arched my back slightly off of the bed every time his tongue flicked and wrapped around one of them. He moved lower, dipped his tongue in my belly button, and kissed my bandaged again before sliding his hands in my shorts. I gasped when I felt one of his slightly larger hands grip at my erect member. My moans turned into pants as he slowly jerked me off.

"Naruto…" I moaned.

"Sasuke…"

I raised my hips to make him getting my boxers and shorts off easier. Here I was laying Naked on my bed with my blond boyfriend's head between my thighs. I gasped when his hot mouth engulfed my member in one go. I wasn't that big, compared to most boys, but I still wasn't expecting Naruto to do that. He bobbed his head, swirled his tongue, and whatever part wasn't in his mouth he would use his hand to jerk me off. Whatever he was doing was mind blowing. My back arched higher as I felt warmth build in my stomach. I used the little power that wasn't drained out of my arms to sit up. Naruto looked at me with… reddish orange eyes? I was about to ask about them, but stopped when I felt my climax approaching. Only moans of ecstasy filled the room as I came down from my high. If I wasn't gripping Naruto's hair, I would've fell backwards.

Naruto looked up at me before rising to kiss me again. My seed's taste was limited on his tongue, but right now I was too far in heaven to care. This kiss was hungry. It was as if Naruto was a hungry predator devouring his prey and that excited me. It gave me the adrenaline I was looking for from him.

"Naruto…" I moaned as we pulled apart.

"Sasuke… Do you want to go all the way with me tonight? After doing that, I'm hungry for the rest of you, but I won't do it if you're not ready. I need to warn you though, once I start… I'm finishing and I don't want our first time to bring regrets to either of us… ok?"

I stared into his eyes; I could tell that he was serious and sincere. He always puts me first no matter what. I pecked his lips with a smirk. "Just do me and shut up."

Naruto nodded before pushing me back onto the bed with his body and lips. We kissed for a minute before he went to his bag and pulled out a bottle of lube.

"_When did he get that? And how did he know to bring it? Did he plan this?"_

I was about to ask him, but the words were caught in my throat when I saw him slowly stripping off his shirt. The moon reflected off of Naruto's toned tan body nicely and made his eyes sparkle. I was too distracted by the sight to realize that Naruto had started to push through my tight entrance with one finger already. I gripped at the sheets. It went in easy, he must've already put the lube on his fingers, but it still felt weird. Soon, the friction Naruto was causing had me moaning again. When he noticed that I was used to it, he added another, did the same thing before entering another one. Soon I had three fingers in me. He started to move them around before brushing them against something sensational.

"Naruto!" I yelled as he kept rubbing that bundle of nerves. I felt aroused again.

He continued to thrust into me with his fingers a few more times before removing them. I missed them the minute they were gone. I lifted my head to see that Naruto was removing his pants and his boxers before adding the lube onto his bigger than mine member, grunting at the feeling of having his hand rub up and down his shaft before he moved to nest between my legs again.

"You have great chakra control, right?" I nodded. "This is going to hurt. I've loosened you up pretty nicely, but it's still going to hurt a lot worse. I want you to direct most of your chakra to your ass. I'll add some of mine. This way, it won't hurt as much, ok?" I nodded again as I did what I was told.

It was weird focusing my chakra to my ass. I never thought that I would ever have to do this. Then again, I never thought that I would fall in love with Naruto or allow him to fuck me. I hissed in pain when Naruto started to enter me. I saw that he was much bigger than me, but to actually feel him within me… I think I was off a little bit.

After what seemed like forever, Naruto was finally buried within me. He was so close. He's never been this close. His nude body was on top of me, his mouth was panting on my right shoulder, our fingers and tails were laced together, his ear tickled my cheek, my legs were hooked around his waist, the fingers on my right hand dug into his left shoulder, his left arm hooked itself under my right leg and raised it a little.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." I panted.

"Have you gotten used to me being in you?"

"Yeah."

"Can I move?"

"Yeah."

'Yeah' seemed to be the only word I remembered right now. I moaned at each thrust Naruto gave. They were slow and yet powerful. My brain and body turned to mush under Naruto as he continued to fuck me. My vision went white when he hit that same bundle of nerves repeatedly. Right when I was about to tell him to speed up, he did it automatically. When I was about to tell him to do it harder, he did it harder. It was as if he was in sync with one another. The bed rocked and creaked with our movements. I threw my head back when I felt my climax coming again. I think Naruto's was coming too because his movements started becoming jerkier, faster, and harder. It was all pleasure for me. I was loving every minute of this. My claws dug into his skin and ripped at his flesh as I came, yelling/moaning his name.

"**NARUTO!"**

"Sasuke!" He loudly grunted as his hot seed filled me from the inside out while mine spilled onto our stomachs and chest.

When his seed finished spilling into me, Naruto collapsed on top of me before rolling off. We were panting and I felt stiff and sore, but I didn't regret what we did. Hissed in pain as I tried to stretch my legs out, but my body protested against it. Sighing in defeat, I turned my head and watched as Naruto grabbed a towel of out his bag and clean himself off before coming over to me. I hissed again in pain when he lifted my legs so he could clean his seed from my pulsing asshole.

"I think I was too rough on you." He smirked. "Sorry Sasuke."

"Don't apologize. I enjoyed it. It was definally something different." I smirked back. He finished cleaning me off before he threw the towel on the floor and settling in behind me. We laid on the bed in silence before decided to speak. "Hey Naruto… Did you plan this?"

"Kind of." I turned over, with his help, before giving him the 'explain' look. "Ever since I picked up on the hints of you wanting to take it further, I started doing research on this kind of thing. I wanted it to be special. I didn't want it at my house. I was going to wait until you let me come over to your house first though."

"What if I never showed you my house?" I smirked.

"You would've eventually."

"You're just too smart for your own good." I smirked before curling more into him.

"Hey Sasuke…?"

"Hn?"

"I-I love you…" He stuttered out.

"What?" My head shot up quickly at the confession.

"I love you. I've been meaning to say it earlier but never had the courage to say it until now. I love you and I'm in love with you, Sasuke. I just thought that you should know." He sounded sad, but he still held onto me for dear life.

I was too shocked to say anything. I had to close my mouth and blurt out the truth too. "I love you too, Naruto."

His grip tightened again. "Thank you. I'm glad."

We laid in each other's arms for a little bit before I spoke again. "How did you know what to do anyway. Two months ago you didn't even know how to start it off. How did you learn that stuff?"

"A lot can happen in two months… that and because those magazines you saw mw buy the other day helped me a lot."

"How did you~"

"Know? I just did the math myself. It wasn't that hard. Plus, I recognize your scent. You may be able to hid your appearance from me, but your chakra and scent are in the opened. I have to hand it to you though. We're around each other so much that I almost missed it, but no dice." He smirked, causing me to use made wanna with them.

"You're not going to become as perverted as Kakashi, are you?"

"Yeah right. I have to admit that these books and magazines are interesting, but I don't think I can sit down and read it all day long. Although, now that we've both agreed that we liked it, there are some more stuff I would like to try with you." He smirked.

I reached up to hit him in his head. "I was right. You are going to become another Kakashi."


	8. MissingLeaving You

**Warnings for This Chapter: **More Yaoi goodness. Naruto cooking.

**Chapter 7: Missing/Leaving You**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Damnit." I cursed as I tried to move one of my legs.

Everything from my hips down hurt like hell. That chakra idea worked, but there was still pain. I knew that there was going to be pain, because I've never been stretched down there before, but I didn't think it would be this painful. I would hate to know what would happen if we hadn't used that chakra trick. I'll have to thank Naruto later for that.

I opened my eyes to see that Naruto was sprawled across my bed. His head was turned to right, our tails were curled around each other, his ears were twitching at every sound, his mouth was opened as he lightly snored, and his left leg rested between both of my legs. I was curled into his side, my head rested on his left arm and the fingers on my right hand were laced with his left handed ones while my left arm rested between us. I felt so comfortable, despite the pain in my lower region. I didn't want to leave my bed. If Kakashi needed us then fuck him. I'm not moving.

**GROANS**

I turned my head to see Naruto stirring. His eyes clenched shut before slowly opening. He looked around for a little bit. When his eyes finally focused on me, he smiled before moving to kiss my forehead.

"Morning."

"Morning." I replied back, lifting my head so he could rub the stiff muscles in his arm

"How you feelin?"

"Stiff and sore." I replied, trying not to move my legs so much. "What about you?"

"Tired and stiff."

"You're tired and stiff?"

"Well when you're doing all of the work in _**that**_ activity, you tend to get that way." He smirked as he sat up.

"Oh yeah? Try having a rod thrust into your ass and tell me how you feel after that." I smirked back.

"I would think you would be used to having something up your ass. I mean before I put my dick up there, you had that stick remember?"

"Oh haha. Very funny. But it doesn't matter because you're obviously bigger than said stick." I laughed before hissing as I rolled onto my stomach.

"All jokes aside. Are you sure I didn't hurt you too much?"

"Naruto, I'm fine. Stop babying me. I'm a big boy. I can take a little pain." I mumbled with my eyes closed as I buried my nose into the pillow that still wore the aroma of sex on it.

"Hissing and grunting every time you move your legs and hips is more than a little pain, Sasuke." He frowned at me. I returned it with a glare. "Fine. I'll stop worrying about you." He sighed.

"Thank you." I closed my eyes again.

"So… what are we doing today?" He asked.

"Doesn't Kakashi need us?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure it's nothing. Why? Do you want to stay home today?"

"That was my plan. Nothing, and I mean _**nothing**_, will get me out of this bed today."

"So I take it you want me to take care of you all day, huh?"

I reached up to pet his head with a smirk. "You're so smart."

"What about 'Stop babying me. I'm a big boy.'?" He mocked as he took my hand in his.

"Taking care of me and worrying about are two different types of babying techniques. I only wanted you to stop worrying about me."

"Fair enough." He kissed my knuckles before turning to look at me. "Do you want me to make you breakfast before or after I tell Kakashi that we're not coming today?"

"After." He nodded before putting my hand down, grabbing his bag, and heading to the bathroom. He came back five minutes later only dressed in his orange pants and a black t-shirt with a weird red swirl on the front.

"I'll be right back."

"Go through the window and leave it open. We need to air out this room. The smell from last night is starting to make me dizzy." He nodded again. I stopped him as he crouched in the window. "Tell him I'm sick or something."

"I know. Is there you want specific for breakfast?"

"No. Just make the same thing I made for breakfast yesterday."

He nodded again before jumping out of the window. The sound of the crisp wind blowing through my curtains was the only sound in the room. Without Naruto in my bed, it felt cold. I reach down and wrapped the covers around me to try and preserve some of his heat. As I waited for Naruto to come back, something had occurred to me. Something I haven't noticed in a long time. Something I haven't cared about in so long. Something that was too hard to miss.

"My bed is empty."

…

…

…

Naruto returned ten minutes later and started cook immediately. I could hear him clanking my pots and pans together. I could smell the sizzling bacon he was cooking. My stomach started to rumble with hunger. About five minutes later, Naruto came back up with two plates. One was covered in tomatoes while the other just had the food on it. I sat up, barely hissing as I did and took the plate. Naruto moved to sit beside me with his food in his lap.

"You barely made a sound that time. Sounds like you're healing pretty nicely." He stated.

"Yeah." I took a bit. It was actually good. "What Kakashi say?"

"He said it was cool. He also said that he had something to tell us, but forgot what it was."

"Typical Kakashi. I'm sure he'll remember later on and tell us." Naruto nodded at my words.

We ate in silence. Once we were done, Naruto took our plates. "I'm going to wash these." I don't know why, but my hand shot out and grabbed his. "Something the matter Sasuke?"

"You don't have to do it now. You can do it later."

Naruto smirked before fully turning his body to face me. "And why don't you want me to leave now?"

I looked away, knowing that there was a blush tainting my cheeks. "My bed is empty and cold."

My blush darkened when Naruto grabbed my chin and pulled me into a quick kiss. "If you wanted me to stay in bed with you all you had to do was ask."

I turned my head away from him again as I heard the sound of Naruto putting the plates down before getting under the covers besides me. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into him. Sighing in defeat, I moved to curl in front of him and close my eyes. I could feel my tail curling around Naruto's thick one before drifting off to sleep again.

…

…

…

The next morning I, of course, woke up first. Naruto was still sound asleep so I slipped out of bed with ease and headed to the bathroom. I scrubbed and washed everywhere on my body. It took me forever to get the stench of sex, dry cum and Naruto off of my body, especially since I didn't wash yesterday. Worse decision I made in a while. I sighed in relief when I finally had my personal scent back. Naruto's vanilla and cinnamon was faint, but noticeable. I didn't care about that. His scent was something that will always stay with me and plus it'll only increase because we're around each other a lot.

I stepped out of the shower to see that the dobe was still sleeping, but this time he was tossing and turning and reaching for something. His hands were reaching over where I was just sleeping. I think he was reaching for me.

"_He must be having a nightmare."_

I walked over to my side of the bed and grabbedmy pillow. He started thrashing then. Tossing and turning. Then his legs started to move rapidly. It looked like he was running away from something or someone.

"_Probably those stupid villagers."_

I walked back over to him and handed him my pillow. He snatched it from me before sniffing it and clutching it to his chest. He stopped thrashing and returned to sleeping peacefully. Ever since Naruto and I have been sleeping together, I would notice that he would thrash, squirm and pretend to run in his sleep whenever I'm not there. I asked him about it once, but he just laughed it off or say that he forgot what it was about. I know he's lying to me and I don't blame him. Whenever I used to have nightmares about Itachi killing our clan I would lie about it too. I don't want to remember that day. That's why I can't force Naruto to tell me the truth and the events that occur between him and the villagers. The day I bandaged Naruto up after those kids threw rocks at was the same day that Naruto told me that the villagers and their kids had done worse to him. That made my heart clench and my blood boil. I still have yet to find out what the village's problem with Naruto is. It's baffling. I've come up with every theory, but thing seemed to fit the bill. Everything I've come up with couldn't possibly be the reason.

"_What is it? Why do they hate him so much? What happened to make these people take their rage out on Naruto? What their problem with him? What?"_

I turned my head to see a frown dawn his face. My expression softened as I ran my fingers through his thick, golden locks before sighing. His frown eased into a peaceful expression.

"_I just can't figure it out Naruto. So, I guess I'll just have to wait until you tell me… __**if**__ you ever tell me."_

With another sigh, I got up from the bed and decided to get dress. I pulled on some black boxers, my high collared navy blue shirt and my white shorts. Since Kakashi didn't need us or because we don't have to go on a mission, I let my arm covers and my leg bandages off. That's when I heard the doorbell ring.

**DING DONG**

"_Who's that?"_

I went downstairs to get to the front door. The doorbell rang one more time before I got there. I looked through my peephole to see Sakura's pink head standing there. I cursed as I debated over opening it. Then she started ringing the doorbell more. I cursed some more before finally opening the door.

"Oh hi Sasuke-kun." She nervously smiled.

"_**What do you want?"**_ I glared.

"I-I came to tell you that Kakashi-sensei wants to meet us on the bridge for a short meeting." She stuttered. Her whole body quivered, even her white bunny ears shook.

"_**If that's all, then get the hell off my property and stay the hell away from here, Naruto, and me."**_ I glared harder before closing my door.

"Sasuke-kun wait!" She called as she stopped the door with her hand and foot.

"_**What?"**_ I growled.

"There's something else I wanted to say." She nervously said as she moved away from the door and turned her gaze to the dirt road beneath her sandaled feet. "About the other day… I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at Naruto like that. It wasn't really his fault that you got injured. Well it was, but you were probably too tired to dodge them." A vein in my head throbbed. "Anyway. I just wanted to say I'm sorry and that you were right… about everything. Everything you said about me was true. That's why I've been trying to get stronger so you _**can **_notice me. I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the village and I know you probably look at all the prettier looking girls whenever they pass your way. That's why I try to show you that I'm smarter than those girls. That I have brains. Something that you probably value over looks. So I'm sorry if I offended you by offending Naruto. Please forgive me." She bowed in front of me. I leaned against the doorway as I listened to her apology.

"Sakura…" Her head shot up to face me. "Although I'm… flattered? that you went through all of this for my attention, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. You should be apologizing to Naruto. He's the one you offended with your words."

"You're right, as always. Do you know where I can find him. He wasn't at home."

"He's upstairs sleeping still. I'll wake him up and we'll meet you and Kakashi at the bridge in thirty minutes." And with that I shut the door in her face before she had time to say anything else.

"_Well… at least she has the guts to apologize unlike the rest if these idiots. She most likely misguided at best. But if Naruto chooses to forgive her that's his business. I've said all I have to say on this matter."_ I sighed again before heading up the stairs with my arms crossed. _"Time to wake up the dobe."_

When I got back to my room, Naruto was still sound asleep with a peaceful expression on his face. It was almost too tempting not to wake him. It's not too often I get to see him sleeping peacefully without me, but I had to do it. I walked over and gently shook him awake. He blinked his eyes open before turning them to me.

"Hey baby." He yawned as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes.

"Why'd you call me that?" I asked as my eye twitched.

"What. It's the proper nickname. I mean you've been my boyfriend for a while now, but you won't let me say it out loud. This is just my way of speaking to you without saying your name or saying teme." He explained.

"Don't call me that." I frowned.

"Why not. It's not like I'm going to say it out loud."

"_Because it's embarrassing."_ Is what I thought. "Because I said so." Is what I said.

"You know I don't listen to you." I glared at him. He sighed in defeat. "Whatever Sasuke." He jumped out of bed and started to stretch in front of me. When he stretched his arms, his shirt rose up to show off pieces of his tan skin. "So why'd you wake me anyway?"

"Sakura came by and said that Kakashi wants to have a brief meeting with all of us."

Naruto's breath hitched. "Sakura was here?" I nodded. "What did she say?"

"She apologized to me for the other day when I cussed her out. I told her to apologize the you, not me. So, she's probably going to do that when we get to the bridge."

"Do you think she'll be sincere in her apology?" He asked as he kneeled before me and placed his head in my lap.

"I don't know. But it's up to you to decide if you wanna forgive her or not. I've said all I have to say about the matter the other day." I sighed as I ran my fingers through his hair again.

"You really meant everything you said?"

"Of course. Naruto, no one should ever have the right to belittle you and try to make you feel inferior just to boost their self-esteem. And just because she's our teammate, Sakura isn't left excluded from that either."

Naruto's eyes widen for a minute before he laid his head in my lap again. "Thank you Sasuke."

"You're welcome. Now get dressed. We're leaving in a few minutes." I said as I pushed him to the bathroom door.

"What about breakfast?"

"It's only a brief meeting. I'll make you something when we come back, alright?" And with that I pushed him through the door before retrieving my arm covers and my leg bandages. I started to put them on when Naruto came back into the room in his clothes. "What's wrong?"

"Forgot my clothes." He smiled.

"Dobe."

"Love you to, baby."

I clenched my fists. _**"You're dead when you come out of there."**_

…

…

…

We walked to the bridge to see Sakura standing there. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Naruto's body tense. I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. I nodded one time before giving him a little push in her direction. If Naruto wants to be strong, then he has to learn to face his prosecutors.

"Hi Sasuke-kun, Naruto."

I didn't say anything. "H-hey, Sakura-chan." Naruto nervously smiled.

"Naruto… may I speak with you in private…?"

"Sure."

He was still but I pushed him forward. They walked out of the bridge while I moved to rest against the railing. From the looks of things, Sakura must really be apologizing.

"It seems as if Sakura is trying to correct her mistakes." Kakashi spoke behind me. The faint sound of a page turning let me know that he was reading that porn book of his.

"Yeah, but she's the only one. There's still over 90% of the village that despises him." I started with anger slowly rising in my stomach.

"Yes, but that's something that might not change. People are ignorant and fear what they don't know, or in Naruto's case what he can become. They didn't want him to become a ninja. They wanted him to rot away somewhere dark since they can't kill him." Kakashi explained.

I gripped the railing before voicing my concern. "Do you know why they hate him so much?"

"I'm not at liberty to tell you that. I would be breaking the Hokage's law. You'll just have to wait until Naruto tells you himself. If he tells you, technically he's not breaking that law. He doesn't even know that that is a law. He just knows that no one talks about it." Kakashi said with a sigh.

"I thought as much."

"But I can tell you this… The reason the villagers hate him isn't because of what Naruto did. A choice was made for him. He had no say in the matter."

What Kakashi said bothered me. From what I gathered, the reason the village hates Naruto is because of what he was forced to do.

"_Well, that solved half of my question. Now all I have to do is figure out what Naruto was forced to do."_

"Hiya Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he waved.

"When you two are finished talking I'll start the meeting." Kakashi smiled.

"Oh we're finished. You can start now." Sakura smiled as Naruto and she ran towards us.

"Alright then." Kakashi moved to put his book away in his tan pouch. "I said that I had something important to tell you guys and now I remembered it. The Chunin Exams are coming up in a month. I have arranged for each of you to be paired with an adult based on your skills. You're training will start tomorrow."

"**OH HELL YEAH! SASUKE! DID YOU HEAR THAT?" **Naruto loudly cheered

"Yeah I heard." I smiled.

"Naruto! Stop being so loud." Sakura scolded as she hit him over the head with one of her fists.

"Owwww, Sakura-chan. Why did you hit me?" He groaned as he rubbed his head.

"You shouldn't have been a loud baka, baka."

"Hey Sasuke… I need to talk with you in private." Kakashi whispered in my ear. I nodded before we slipped while the two continued to argue. "I wanted to talk to you about your adult. I'm the one that's going to train you, for obvious reasons. We're going to be leaving the village the entire month. I'm going to help you with your Sharingan. Pack your things tonight. We're leaving at six in the morning."

What Kakashi said worried me. I would be away from Naruto for a whole month. It's not like I'll die if I'm not with him. It's just that I worry about him. I'm worried that he'll have nightmares without me being there or worse… the villagers will torment him even more for 'driving' me out of the village. The villagers are what I'm worried about the most.

I was too distracted to notice that Kakashi and Sakura had left and Naruto was standing in front of me. "Hey Sasuke. What did Kakashi-sensei want to talk to you about?"

…

…

…

When we got back to my house, I felt like I was on autopilot. My body moved to the kitchen and started preparing lunch. The whole time, I kept thinking of ways to tell Naruto about my training. It shouldn't be this hard. We sat across from each other and ate in silence. I still haven't come up with any easy way to tell him.

"Alright Sasuke. What gives?"

"Huh?"

"What's wrong with you? You've been distant since your talk with Kakashi-sensei. So what is it?" He reached over and wrapped his fingers around mine. "You can tell me anything…"

My heart clenched at his words. I turned my head to the side. _"Damn you Naruto."_

"Kakashi is training me this month…"

"That's not so bad. I don't see why you've been acting so~"

"We'll be leaving the village."

His fingers gripped mine. I could hear him swallowing hard. "For how long?"

"The whole month."

"When are you leaving?" He swallowed again.

"Tomorrow. Six a.m." I answered with a hard swallow of my own. "I have to go pack." I mumbled before getting up and leaving the table. Naruto was still in his chair. I turned to walk upstairs. My hand felt cold and emptied. Just like the rest of this house.

…

…

…

The tension in the house was thick. Sometime during my packing, Naruto disappeared from the house. When he came back, we still didn't speak. We didn't even go in the same room as each other. This was our defense mechanism, but it didn't seem to be working. Before going to bed, I set my alarm clock. Night fell around nine. Despite the way we've been acting toward each other, Naruto still managed to settle in bed behind me. I stayed with my back toward him, even when he pulled me closer. Neither of us couldn't sleep. We just laid awake in my bed.

"I don't want you to do, Sasuke." Naruto whispered into the silent night.

"I know. But you're a big boy. I'm sure you can find away to entertain yourself for a month. And with your trainer, the time will go by fast and I'll be back before you know it." I stated.

"It has nothing to do with me getting bored. I'm scared that the nightmares will come back. I don't know what it is about you, but you're what keeps my nightmares away. Now that I have you… I'm afraid to face them alone." Naruto confesses as he tightened his grip. He moved to turn me on my side as he moved to hover above me. "I'll try my best to deal with them, but it won't change the fact that I'll miss you."

"I'm starting to think that you'd rather follow me around more than you already do." I smirked.

"That's what happens when the person you love is going to leave you for an entire month." He smiled as he laced our fingers together. He leaned down, but stops just a breath away from my lips. "I love you, Sasuke."

"Me too." He moved closer and kissed my lips. It was gentle, but needy. The exact why Naruto feels now.

As we kissed, Naruto's tongue licked my lips, asking for an entrance. I opened my mouth and our tongues started to dance. I brought my hands up to wrap around his neck and entangle in his hair. I could feel his hands raising my shirt while lowering my shorts. He barely did anything and I was already for him. I knew he was going to me feel good before I left. I wanted a good memory too last me until I came back home.

In a matter of seconds our clothes were removed and Naruto's mouth and hands were on me. It was almost like our first time. His mouth moved from my collarbone to my nipples. His pink organ was rough against my sensitive nubs. I was arching my back and moaning at the sensation. His hands were either messaging my hips or running along my thighs. When my nipples were hard enough, he ran his tongue down my stomach before running it along my thighs.

"Why are you licking me everywhere?" I moaned.

"I'm trying to memorize every inch of you, babe. Why? Do you want to get right down to the main part then?" I could see him smirking through my half-lids.

"I don't really care… Just hurry up." I moaned louder when I felt his tongue trail from the base of my erect member to the tip. "Damn Naru."

He did this a few more times before finally talking the whole thing into his mouth. I watched as he bobbed his head and swirled, clench, and lick his tongue every inch of my dick. His hands had to keep my hips from bucking into his mouth. It was hard containing myself. I finally came into his mouth with a loud moan of his name.

"You know babe… I like that nick name. Naru." Naruto smirked as he crawled on top of me.

"I told you not to call me that." I gave a half-hearted glare.

"Hn. That's funny because Lil' Sasu doesn't half a problem with that name." His smirk widen as I moaned from him jerking my member back to life. "You know… I was going to let you request what you want done to you, but I changed my mind… I'm going to tell you what's going to happen. First… I'm going to bring you the point of coming again, except… I'm not going to. Next, I'm going to lather my fingers up and probe you deeply. Then, I'm going to enter you, so agonizingly slow. When I'm all the way in… I'm going to pound you into the mattress." Everything he was saying was going through my mind and creating wonderful images. I never knew having him talk to me was such a turn on. "How does that sound, Sasu?"

"You talk a lot." I moaned into his hair. Naruto went back to sucking on my collarbone.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'll shut up~"

"I didn't say you could stop."

"I knew it was turning you on." He smirked into my skin.

"Where did you learn all of this anyway?"

"When we're not together, or when you're sleeping I like to read them." He confessed before moving back to kiss my lips again.

He distracted me enough to barely notice that he was slipping in his fingers. They went in easy and did a good job of stretching me again. He removed his fingers with a pop before positioning himself at my entrance. We both hissed at either the tightness or the feeling of being full. He waited until I was used to his length before he started moving.

His movements were slow and deep at first. We were in sync again. When I need him to go harder, he did. When I needed him to go faster, he did. When I wanted him to go deeper, he threw my legs over his shoulders and lifted my hips a little bit. It increased the pleasure between us. His hips turned into pistols the closer he got to his climax. I arched my spine, threw my head back, and screamed the closer I got to my climax. After a few more powerful thrusts, Naruto and I came together. His seed filled me from the inside out while mine covered our stomachs and my thighs. Exhausted, Naruto collapsed on top of me. Our heavy breathing filled the room along with the aroma of sex. My body was sore once again, but I didn't mind it… I never minded.

"Naruto…" I panted.

"Hmm?"

"You're heavy."

"Sorry." He grunted out as he pulled out and rolled over, pulling me with him. He kissed my crown, breathed in my scent, and sighed in contentment. I only got comfortable enough to sleep. "I'll miss you, baby."

"Me too."


	9. Meeting My… Instructor?

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Nothing Special. Possible boring chapter.

**Author's Note: **I know that there are people who just read and don't review my story, which is ok. But I would like to thank **Ginger**. **Ginger** is one of my silent fans who has recently reviewed. It honors me when I earn a silent reader's review. So thanks **Ginger** and I hope I'll be able to keep you as a fan until the end.

Oh and of course I have to give a shout out to **PhoenixDiamond.** It's because of her I was able to improve this story. And of course she's the reason I dedicated this story to her.

And of course I can't forget about my girl **Rose Haven**. She's been with me since my earlier NarutoxSasuke/ SasukexNaruto days. She's been reviewing and supportive of me. So thank you for keepin it real.

**Anyway… On with the Show**

**Chapter 8: Meeting My… Instructor?**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

I was the first to wake up after our night of love making. My thighs were hurting, but I didn't mind it too much. I slowly sat up and took a deep breath. After today, I would be away from Naruto for a full month. I wanted to memorize his and the room's current scent. I lend down and took a big whiff. Naruto smelled like cinnamon, vanilla, sex, and me. Then I smelled myself. Naruto's scent and the scent of sex overpowered mine. I knew I had to take a shower.

"I know you're awake, Naruto." I smirked.

"You always were too smart." He yawned before sitting up and stretching. We looked at each other before he laid his head in my lap and tightly hugged my waist. "I don't want you to go." He mumbled.

I reached down to run my fingers through his 'just-had-sex' hair. "I know, but I have to go. Kakashi is going to help me prepare for the Chunin Exams." I lightly smiled down at him. He's acting like a child who doesn't want to let go of his favorite candy.

"But what about me? I can't face those villagers without you there to guide me. I'm not strong enough."

"You've managed to do it five years before I came along. And you can survive a month without me." I tried to encourage.

"All I did was act stupid and smile all the damn time."

"That shouldn't be too hard for _**you**_ to do again." I joked as I scratched, but I could tell that it did nothing to lighten the mood by the way he moved my hand away.

"I'm serious Sasuke. I can't do it without you." He mumbled again. I had to hold back a gasp when I felt his tears drip onto my cum covered thighs.

I moved my legs upward and wrapped my arms around his head in comfort. "You are strong enough. You're the strongest person I've ever met. You can handle yourself. And plus… you'll have your own instructor to keep you occupied, right?"

"It's not the same." He mumbled again. "I love you, Sasuke."

"I know you do, Naruto. I love you too. But you know I have to go."

"Yeah I know." He sighed, but never let go. I looked over when I felt Naruto's tail curl around mine. "Someone famous once said…" He started. "_"If you love something, let it go. If it comes back then it was meant to be. But if it doesn't then those feelings were only temporary."_"

"Where did you hear that from?" I smirked.

"Read it in a book once. Point being… If I let you go… will you come back?"

I was shocked that he asked me that. But I guess that was expected. Especially considering that almost everyone in this damn village has either shunned, mocked, torched, or tried to kill him. But, even knowing this… it still hurt to hear him ask me that.

"Of course I'm coming back. You don't ever have to worry about me abandoning you."

"I know… I just like having that reassurance in my head for myself." He sighed again before slowly sitting up. "Want some help getting to the shower?"

"No. I'm fine. I can walk. Although, next time, let's start cleaning up _**after**_ we're finished. The feeling of cum hardening and cracking on my skin isn't all that appealing in the morning."

"Agreed." Naruto smiled before we headed to the bathroom.

…

…

…

While we showered, Naruto was a complete gentleman. He only washed me. There were a few times he would linger one place too long or sometimes he would run his tongue or nose on my body, but I allowed that. He was only trying to memorize my scent. I allowed anything that would help him get through the whole month we're going to be apart.

We dressed and then I cooked breakfast. Naruto refused to allow me to do anything, but I made a deal with him: If he lets me spoil him now, then I'll let him spoil me when I come back. It took some more convincing but he finally gave in and sat back. We ate in silence. I was the last one done, so I washed the dishes while Naruto went upstairs to retrieve my bag.

I was walking to the door when I felt Naruto wrap his arms around my waist and pull me into his lap. We sat, comfortably, on the stairs. His forehead rested on my right shoulder. I placed my hands on top of his and leaned further into him. Without moving, I looked down and saw the comparison between our skin tones. His was tan and healthy while mine looked pale and sickly. I've always hated my skin color, but Naruto absolutely adores it; just like I adore his. Sometimes we're too much alike. It's scary.

"I don't want you to go~"

"Naruto~" I groaned before he placed his hand over my mouth.

"You didn't let me finish." He slowly removed his hand before placing it on top of mine. "I don't want you to go. I wish that I could tie you up, keep you in my closet and protect you forever. I wish I could do that so that I won't ever be alone. But every time I feel like that, a little voice inside of my head tells me that I have nothing to worry about because, deep down inside me, I know that you won't ever leave me."

I lifted my head so that I could turn and face him. He wore one of the saddest smiles I had ever seen. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see our tails lying in my lap. His was twisted around mine like always. I could feel my ears flatten against my skull. I had no idea Naruto felt so strongly about me. I don't think anyone has ever felt this strongly about me… To most, Naruto's feelings would terrify them, but to me… they were kind of comforting. Naruto and I are both alone. We can only really depend on ourselves to stay alive. Everyone I've ever loved is dead, including Itachi. Naruto's been alone and tortured since day one. I now realize that I need him as much as he needs me. I can see now that the bond we share is unbreakable, and I intend on keeping it that way.

I shifted so that I was sitting in front of him. Our tails never came untwisted. I slowly leaned in to kiss his lips before pulling back and standing up. He stopped me by grabbing my wrist. "Sasuke… Can you promise me something?"

"Anything."

He pulled my back into his chest and tightened his grip around me. "Promise me that you'll always come back to me. Even if you're on the verge of dying… Promise me that you'll crawl back to Konoha and let me be the last thing you see before you die. Promise me that Sasuke and I'll never ask anything from you… ever…" His voice was cracking. I could tell that he was on the verge of tears.

I wiggled my arms free before wrapping them around his midsection. "I promise." We stayed like that for a few minutes before I pulled away, grabbed my bag, and held my hand out for him. Come on. You can walk me to the gate." He took my hand while returning my small smile with a genuine grin.

We stood eye to eye with smiles on our faces until Naruto leaned in and gently pecked my lips."I love you, Sasuke."

"Love you too, Naruto." I said as I moved my right leg. A light jingle caught my attention and caused my feline ear to twitch. That's when I remembered something. "Oh. I almost forgot." I reached into my pocket and grabbed my house key. "Here. I'm leaving this with you. While I'm gone you can stay here. Just make sure to clean up after yourself. I don't wanna come home to a dirty house. Otherwise… I'll have to kill you."

"You don't mean that Sasuke." He laughed. I only held a serious emotionless expression as his laughs became nervous. "Right Sasuke…? Babe…?"

"Just make sure the house is presentable when I get back." I said before turning around and walking to the village's gate with my hands in my pockets and Naruto right behind me.

…

…

…

Our walk to the gate was silent until Naruto spotted Kakashi sitting on the bench. "Kakashi-sensei! Good morning!" He cheered as he ran towards the perverted Jonin.

"Well good morning to you too, Naruto. You're up bright an early." He smiled as he closed and put away his book.

"Yeah. I had to walk Sasuke-teme to the gate. He would be so lost without me." He grinned with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I think it's the other way around, dobe." I smirked as I walked passed him.

"Shut up, teme!"

"_I hate to admit it, but Naruto really is a good actor."_

"Now, now boys. It's a little too early to be arguing, dontcha think?" Kakashi smiled before turning to me. "Ready to go Sasuke?" I nodded. "Good." When he moved to grab his bag, I noticed that there was a red string tied around his silver tail.

"_I wonder what that's for?"_

"Let's go, Sasuke." I nodded again before we turned towards Naruto. "Well, we're off Naruto. You're instructor should be popping up somewhere around the village sometime this afternoon. Make sure you follow his instructions and be sure that you watch over Sakura. She might go crazy if she finds out Sasuke's gone missing." Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"You got it Kakashi-sensei!" My idiot saluted.

"Try not to get yourself killed, dobe." I smirked.

"Same goes to you, teme."

He turned and walked away with his hands in his pocket and his tail slightly curled behind him. I couldn't help but watch as he disappeared from our sights. Deep down, I was praying to whomever that he would be alright without me here. I think I'm more afraid of what Naruto might do to himself than I am about what the villagers might do to him.

"You two seem close." Kakashi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see him reading his book again. "You must be dating." I could see him smirking underneath his mask.

I could feel heat rush to my cheeks, so I turned away and used my bangs to hide it. "You're delusional." I mumbled.

"Hey, I'm just calling it like I see it." He sighed. I almost jumped when I felt him ruffle my hair. "Don't worry little Sasuke. I won't tell anyone. I mean, I haven't told anyone yet. So, how long you've been dating?"

I lightly glared at him for a minute before turning away and facing the road beyond the gate. "Why are you so interested anyway?"

"Just want to make sure I have my facts straight before I start making assumptions."

"…"

"You don't have to say anything. Just answer me this… Why did you tell Naruto about our one month training mission?"

The wind lightly blew through my hair, but I still didn't say anything. "Wouldn't you tell the one you love that you're going to be away from them for a long period of time?" Was all I said. I didn't care if I dropped the hint about me being in love with Naruto. The jig was up anyway. Kakashi and Naruto are one in the same. They're both too smart for their own good.

Kakashi walked right by me. "It's time to go Sasuke. We're burning day light." I nodded before following him. "Oh. And to answer your question… I already did."

…

…

…

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

After I left Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei at the gate, I took my time getting back to his house. This was one of the few times I could actually walk around the village without fear of persecution or discrimination. My steps were quite and long as I strolled to Sasuke's house. The village was actually very beautiful in the morning, during sunset, and at night. I cherish the rare chances I get to observe this place. Times like this are calming to me.

"_**Hn. I don't see what's so beautiful about this place. If ya asked me, I wouldn't mind seeing it burned to the ground. Maybe then it would be appealing to me."**_ Kyuubi groaned.

"_Only you would think that."_ I rolled my eyes. _"What have you been anyway? I haven't heard from you in a while."_

"_**I've been watching as you screw your boyfriend into the mattress. What a sight to see. I never knew an Uchiha could look so cute with a blush and begging for you to give it to him good."**_ My guardian laughed.

"_What kind of parent watches that sort of thing?"_

"_**It's better than listening to you two share sweet moments all the time or whispering 'I love you' five times a day."**_

"_Moments like those are private, __**Dad**__."_ I lightly growled with my eyes closed and my fists in my pockets.

"_**Don't you growl at me, young man. Any sensible parent would tell you that nothing is private in their house. Or in our case, your body."**_

"_I hate you."_

"_**Love you too, brat. By the way… you might wanna watch out for that door."**_

"_What door~?"_

"Ouch." I grunted as I walked into Sasuke's front door. I peeled myself off of it before rubbing my sore, and probably red, forehead.

"_Damn."_

"_**I warned you."**_

"_Yeah. A little too late."_

"_**Your fault for not paying attention."**_

"_You were talking to me!"_

"_**You shouldn't make excuses for being stupid."**_

"_You should win the 'Best Dad in the World' trophy."_ I groaned as I reached into my pocket to retrieve the key Sasuke gave me.

"_**I should shouldn't I?"**_ I could tell that he was smirking from his mocking tone.

I just rolled my eyes as I unlocked the tumblers and opened the door. After shutting the door, I felt a cold chill run down my spine. This house made me feel small and insignificant. The strange chill made my blood run cold and send shivers to wrap along my spine.

"_Is this how Sasuke feels every time he comes home?"_

"_**I gotta give props to the Uchiha brat. I know that if it was me, I wouldn't be able to live in the same house my parents were murdered in alone. He's one brave boy."**_

"_Yeah… he is…"_

I headed upstairs to Sasuke's room and laid down on his bed. I was still a little sleepy, so I grabbed the pillow that was engulfed in his scent and pulled it close. I knew that he wasn't here, but being surrounded by his scent was just as comforting. I allowed it to lull me to sleep.

…

…

…

I woke up from my nap around one in the afternoon. Sasuke's bed was bigger than mine, but it only made the fact that it was empty all the more obvious. I slowly sat up before stretching and popping my muscles back into place. I had nothing to do, except wait for my instructor to appear, but I figured that he could wait a few hours for me.

I left Sasuke's house and headed over to my apartment. I packed a small bag of clothes and stuff for me so that I could make my stay at Sasuke's house a little better. After that was done, I decided to take another stroll around the village.

I could feel the stares and glares. I could hear the sneers and harsh words people whispered about me. They may scratch my shell, but I won't let them penetrate it. I put on my façade as walked around. I promised that I would be strong for Sasuke while he was away. So that's what I'm going to do.

I made my way to the park. There were few people there, but they just ignored me and vice versa. I sat in the tree and meditated. During my meditation, I was able to evaluate My mind somehow drifted to Sasuke. He stays on my mind, but I can't let that happen while he's away. It would only do more harm than good for me.

To get my mind off of him, I grabbed my kunais and shurikens before heading to a secluded part of the forest. I moved passed a few bushes and trees. There was a wide open plain, but I kept walking until I came to a small rock like cave.

"_**Kit… This is… it's our~"**_

"_That's right, Kyuubi."_

This cave was where Kyuubi raised me during the first seven years of my life. I was fed here. Kyuubi kept me warm and protected me while we were here. He trained me in the open field I passed. He bathed me in a nearby river. This place was what the two of us called home.

"_**Why did you come here?"**_ My fox asked me in a whispered voice.

"_I came here to train. But I also thought that this would be a perfect time to visit my old home. The home I wasn't afraid to run to."_

"_**Sometimes I wish I could materialize and live here with you again, but my body won't let me."**_

"_I know. I wish you were here to take care of me too." _I sadly smiled as I placed a hand over my sealed etched stomach. _"But despite the way people treat me now, I don't regret anything. I've been through a lot, but thanks to you, Sasuke, Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, and the old man I've been able to grow stronger from that same treatment. I was blinded by my love for Sasuke to realize it. That's what Sasuke's been trying to get through to me. From this moment onward…" _I reached into my pouch and pulled out one of my kunai and held it in front of my face._ "I'm going to get stronger, not just physically but mentally as well. I promised Sasuke that I will be strong and that's exactly what I'm going to be."_ I grunted as I chucked my kunai into a tree bark, burying it deep into the tree. _"That's the only way I will ever become Hokage. That's the only way people will accept me for who I am. This is the only way I'll ever find my place in the world." _I pulled out another kunai and held it in front of my face with serious determination in my eyes.

"_**I'm proud of you, Kit. I know you'll make a great Hokage one day."**_

I threw that kunai at the trunk. It landed a few inches below the first one I threw. _"Thanks Kyuubi."_

I got another one and aimed it toward the first one, but it landed at the base of the tree. "Damnit. I missed."

…

…

…

I don't know how long I kept throwing my kunai and shurikens, but I could tell that hours had passed. During that time, I've managed to improve a little, but not a lot. The sun was still high in the sky. All of my weapons were either stuck in the tree or in the dirt. I'm able to hit my target five times in a row, but that's all.

"I definitely need way more training." I sighed before falling onto the ground.

The trees were blocking the sun from beating down on me while a nice breeze cooled me off. I placed my hands behind my head before closing my eyes. I felt content just laying here. It felt as if nothing could harm me right now. I felt irrelevant from the world, but that was alright. That just means that I don't matter. And if I don't matter then nothing could hurt me. I can just lay here forever and not be bothered. I often wondered if that was the reason Kyuubi picked this as our temporary home.

As I lay in the grass my mind went back to thinking about Sasuke. He's been gone for several hours now. I wonder what Kakashi-sensei is teaching him now? It better not be a cool new jutsu. I can't let him get too far ahead of me. I'm supposed to be getting stronger so that I can protect the people around me and myself. _**NOT**_ the other way around.

"I'll train some more after my nap." I sighed as I closed and let myself drift off to sleep.

…

…

…

"Hey, kid."

"_What's that?"_

"**Kid!"**

"_Is someone talking to me?"_

"**WAKE UP!"**

"_It's not Sasuke. So who is it?"\_

"_**WAKE UP GOD DAMNIT!"**_

"Ouch!" I yelped when I felt something hit my cheek. I shot up into a sitting and grabbed my cheek. "Who the hell did that?" I yelled.

"Down here." I looked down and saw an orange and red frog wearing a blue opened vest. "Hiya!" He smiled and waved at me.

"Who the hell are you? Where did you come from? Why are you bothering me? And~" I reached down to pick up him up by his slimy foot. "Just what the hell are you? Some type of frog?"

"Hey! Put me down!" He smacked my hand, causing me to drop him back onto my lap. "And I'm not a frog. I'm a toad thank you very much."

"_**Hn. Looks more like a slimy vermin than a toad." **_Kyuubi snickered.

"I take a strong offense to being wrongly identified." The toad huffed.

"_**Ha. The vermin tried to sound intelligent."**_

"Frogs are disgusting and slimy."

"_**Look who's calling the cattle black."**_

"_Be nice Kyuubi."_ I mentally groaned.

"_**Can't help myself, Kit."**_

I shook my head as Kyuubi's voice faded. I returned my gaze to the male toad sitting in my lap. "Ok. So… you're not a frog, you're a toad… Is there something you want from me because I was in the middle of a nice nap?" I sighed as I placed him on the ground before lifting my leg to scratch my right ear.

"Yeah. I just need you to answer a simple question." The toad said.

"And if I don't?" I said as crouched beside him.

"All you have to do is answer yes or no. If you can do that, then I'll be on my way. Deal?"

I thought it over. "Fine." I sighed. "What's your question?"

"Are you Naruto Uzumaki? Or do you know where I can find him?"

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki~" I said before he jumped on me and knocked me over.

"I'm so glad that I finally found you! You don't know what I had to go through to find you!"

"Get off of me." I grunted as I placed him back onto the floor. "Why were you looking for me?"

"I came to take you to your assigned trainer for the next month." He smirked.

"Why didn't you say so before? Lead the way!" I cheered before hopping up and placing the male toad on my shoulder.

"We're going to be going through these bushes here. That's where he'll be waiting for you." I nodded at the directions before walking. He stayed silent, but I could tell he wanted to ask me something.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Huh?"\

"You looked like you wanted to ask me something."

"Oh. I do wanna ask you something, but I don't think it would be appropriate." He said.

"Go ahead and ask."

"… While I was looking for you, I had to ask a lot of people… and let's just say they had some… _**interesting**_ reactions… Why is that?"

I hesitated. "People just plain don't like me. It's as simple as that?"

I saw the toad nod and drop the conversation. We kept walking until we reached our destination. I was shocked when I realized that he led me to Kyuubi and my cave. There was a man with long white spiked hair and jewel-like eyes with a transverse pupil wearing a red outfit sitting on top of the cave.

"_**Bout time you showed up."**_ The man smirked.

"Sorry boss, but the kid was giving me too much attitude." The toad grunted as he hopped of my shoulder to sit in his lap.

"I see." He continued to smirk as he looked at me. "So you're Naruto Uzumaki… Hn. You look just like your father."

"How do you know of me and my father?" I asked.

"I know more about you than you think, but that's a conversation for another day." He hopped off my cave and placed his hands on his hips. "I am Jirayia, the Toad Sage. I've been asked by Kakashi to train you for the next month… Are you ready to get started?"

"Hell yeah! I'm well rested and ready to go!" I cheered.

"Great. Go get your weapons and let's get started."

…

…

…

**Normal P.O.V.**

After both Naruto and Sasuke finished their training, Naruto headed home and ate dinner while Sasuke just ate. They both fell got comfortable and gazed at the stars. Sasuke was underneath them while Naruto had to watch them from Sasuke's bed. Before both boys were about to go to sleep, they asked the same question in their minds.

"_I wonder how Naruto is doing?"_

"_I wonder how Sasuke is doing?"_


	10. Coming Home

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Yaoi goodness. The usual stuff.

**Author Shout Outs: **I would like to make a shout to another of my silent readers. **Saint of the Wind** has recently reviewed my last chapter and their review just absolutely completed my day. So I dedicate this chapter to them. Thanks **Saint of the Wind** for the wonderful review.

**Woohoolahoop **is another anonymous reviewer who loves this story and my writing style, so I would just like to give a shot out to them for lighting up my day… well night because I read this at night lol.

**Chapter 9: Coming Home**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

**(1 Month Later: July)**

"Nice job today, kid. I'm proud at the progress you've made this past month." Jiraiya smiled at me as he used his hand to ruffle my hair.

"Thanks Ero-sennin. I really appreciate it." I smiled.

"Ya know, it's not nice to call your sensei such mean names. One would think that you don't respect me." He smirked while bending his knees so that he was at my eye level.

"I do respect you… it's just that I can't help calling you something that you are." I responded.

The old Toad Sage's shoulders shook with laughter as he stood up. "That somewhat true fact aside, I do have one last thing to show you."

I had a curious look on my face when I turned to face him. When he noticed that he had my full attention, Jiraiya pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and laid it in front of me.

"Whoa. This scroll is long. What is it?" I asked.

"This, Naruto, is a summoning scroll. With this, you can summon the animal on this scroll any given time you want."

"And… you're giving this to me?" I asked in awe.

"No, you nitwit."

"Oh."

"I want you to sign this." Jiraiya bluntly said.

"Really?" He nodded. "But why?"

"In all my years, I've only met one person worthy enough to sign their name on this scroll in the past couple of decades."

I wanted to know who this person was, so I looked down and gasped at what I saw. "The last person to sign this… was the Fourth Hokage… My father?" He nodded. "So that means you must've taught him too, right?" He nodded again. "Hn. So that explains how you knew my father so well."

"Every since I trained him, I have not met one person worthy enough to sign this contract… until now." He smiled.

"Thanks Ero-sennin~"

"But I must warn you… If you ever choose to summon a toad during battle, they are not obligated to help you, even if you signed this contract. Sometimes they can be more of a problem than an ally. I just wanted you to know what you were getting yourself into before you officially signed this thing."

I thought about what Jiraiya said about the pros and cons of signing the contract before making my final decision. "Where do I sign?" I smirked.

"Use your kunai to pour some blood into this cup from your hand. Once that's down, sign your name in blood here and then we can get started." I nodded before taking out one of my kunais, slicing my palm open and pouring some blood into the cup.

I began to sign my name in blood with some trouble. When I was done, I almost cringed at how bad it looked.

"_Sasuke was right. My handwriting is deplorable."_

"_**I've been telling you that for how long now? But, when 'Sasuke' tells you about it then you wanna learn how to improve it. Unbelievable Kit. Unbelievable."**_

"_Oh stop your complaining drama king."_

"Wow… your handwriting sucks."

"Oh you can shut your mouth too, Ero-sennin. I know my handwriting sucks and I'll do something about it later." I grumbled.

"I hope so. Anyway, now that that's over, let's get started." The pervert smiled as he rolled up the scroll and placed it inside his sleeve. "I'm going to show you how to summon the toads." He said before walking a few feet away from me. "Now pay attention because I'm only going to show you once."

I watched inventively as Jiraiya drew blood from his thumb and perform some hand signs before slamming his hand onto the ground. Black symbols appeared on the ground, causing me to jump back. A cloud of smoke appeared, but after it cleared there were two small toads sitting in front of me.

One was orange with purple markings and a blue vest. This was Gamakichi. The other was yellow with orange markings and a blue vest. This was Gamakichi's little brother, Gamatatsu. These two have been my training partners for the past month.

"Yo, Naruto! What's up?" Gamakichi waved.

"Hiya Naruto. Do you have any snacks. I'm so hungry." Gamatatsu whined.

"Hey guys, and no Gamatatsu I don't have any snacks."

"Glad to see that you guys could join us." Jiraiya smirked as he stood up.

"We're happy to serve… as long as you have some snacks that is." Gamatatsu smiled while he hopped onto Jiraiya's head.

"What did you need us for, boss?" Gamakichi asked from his sitting position between my ears.

"I was teaching Naruto how to summon you guys. He had just signed the contract." Ero-sennin explained.

"You signed the contract? Let me see." Gamakichi demanded as he hopped off my head. Jiraiya handed over the scroll so that the toad boys could read it. "Well I'll be damned. Looks like you signed it after all. The boss must really think highly of you."

"Well what do you expect. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage!" I cheered with fist in the air.

"You're handwriting stinks. I'm surprised that the boss can read it." Gamatatsu smiled.

"Ugh! You people frustrate me." I groaned with my hand over my face.

"Alright, that's enough. We all know that Naruto's handwriting sucks and he promises to fix it, so let's drop the subject and focus on the task at hand." Jiraiya chuckled as he put the scroll away again. "Alright, Naruto. You've seen me do it, so now it's your turn. Are there any questions?"

"No, I think I've pretty much got it from here." I cracked my knuckles before readying myself.

"Oh, before I forget… The more chakra used the more powerful your summoning will be. I don't want you using too much chakra at one time before you're ready, so I want you to try and summon a toad around Gamatatsu and Gamakichi's size." I nodded at my sensei's order.

Once I found my center, I tried to picture the hand signs in my head before starting. "Here I go!" I yelled before drawing blood from my thumb, performing the hand signs, and slamming my hand against the ground. A cloud of smoke appeared as I removed my hand from the ground, but when it cleared… I didn't know what I was looking at.

"What the hell is that?" Jiraiya asked.

There was a small round thing with a tail squirming on the floor where my summoned toad should be. "I think it's a tadpole." I said as I poked it with my toe.

"How do you not know. You summoned it!" Gamakichi yelled at me.

"Yeah I summoned it, but I still don't know what it is!" I yelled back.

"Ohhhhh can I eat it?"

"No, Gamatatsu!" Gamakichi and I yelled.

"Well if you ask me… I think it looks more like bloody sperm." Jiraiya shrugged. The two toads and I turned to him with horrified expressions. "What, I was just saying."

"**WELL WE DIDN'T ASK YOU!"** Gamakichi and I yelled.

"Right. Well now that this first attempt at summoning a toad failed horribly…" The white haired toad said as he dismissed my summoning. "Let's try that again, shall we?" I nodded before readying myself. "This time, put a lot more chakra into it." I centered myself before trying again. "That's… better…?"

"Yeah it is. At least it's actually starting to _**look**_ like a tadpole now."

"Shut up, Gamakichi." I grumbled before trying again.

…

…

…

"Fuck it. I'm done." I sighed in defeat.

"You can't quit now. You're so close."

"Gamatatsu is right. You're so close to~ Ah hell, who am I kidding. The only thing you're getting out of this is a light head from all the blood you're losing." Gamakichi laughed while rolling on the floor.

"Alright you two. That's enough."

"No. It's ok Jiraiya. They're right. I can't summon anything, but deformed tadpoles, or 'bloody sperm' as you like to call it." I huffed before pocketing my hands and turning around. "I'm going home."

"Wait. Before you go…" I turned to face my sensei. "Come. Take a walk with me. It's a nice out tonight. Let's just enjoy the peace around us."

I mulled it over in my head. Looking up at the sky, I saw how bright the stars and the moon looked. It reminded me of Sasuke's eyes in contrast his moonlit pale skin. The air was nice and cool, just like his body temp. Everything about this peaceful night reminded me of the nights Sasuke and I spent together. It also reminded me of the lonely house I'll be returning to for the last time.

"Come on Naruto. It'll be fun." Gamakichi said as he hopped on my head and sat between my ears again.

"Yeah, and maybe we can get some snacks along the way." Gamatatsu smiled as he hopped on Jiraiya's head.

"Alright." I sighed in defeat again. "Lead the way."

…

…

…

We walked for a while and during that time, I was able to clear my head and pretty much forget about my failures from before. We walked until we reached the cliff a little ways from the village.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"I like to come up here and relax. Staring at the rushing waters under this cliff always seems to clear my head of whatever failure may have faced that day." Jiraiya explained.

"So you mean to tell me that by staring at the rushing water below, your head becomes clear of any and all of your thoughts from that day?"

"If you don't believe me, then see for yourself." Ero-sennin challenged.

I moved to look over the edge. I kept staring and staring, and after staring for so long… I think I started working. "Ya know, I think it's starting to work~ **WHOA!**" I yelled when I fell over the side of the cliff. As I continued to fall, I noticed a branch hanging there. I reached out and grabbed it to hang on for dear life. **"JIRAIYA! HELP ME!"** I yelled.

"Hold on, kid! I'll go get something to pull you up with!" He yelled before he and the two toad brothers disappeared.

"Just hang on, Naruto!" I heard Gamatatsu yell.

"Like I have a choice!"

I continued to hang from that branch until I heard it cracking. That's when I started to get scared. I knew I was going to fall and those bastards were still nowhere to be found. The branch kept cracking, it was about to give. That's when I felt like I should try one last time. I had to move so that I hanging from my tail. After that I drew blood from my thumb one more time before performing the summoning technique. After that… everything went fuzzy. I remember falling from the branch. I think what Gamakichi said about me getting lightheaded was true. I was woozy and knew that I was going to pass out at any moment, but the last thing I remembered before passing out was landing on something big before Jiraiya, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu smiled at me and said: "You did it, Naruto. You were finally able perform a summoning correctly."

…

…

…

"So… you mean to tell me… that in an attempt to save my life yesterday… I added enough chakra to summon the Toad Chief, Gamabunta, and save myself from falling to my death, which you 'purposely' caused?" I questioned as I stared at Jiraiya and the two toad brothers, who nodded at my question. "You three are twisted, ya know that right?"

"That may be true, but it worked didn't it?" Ero-sennin chuckled.

"Yeah because I was trying to save myself from falling to my death!" I yelled.

"Oh stop your complaining. You managed to summon our dad. Isn't _**that**_ enough to forgive us?" Gamakichi pleaded along with Gamatatsu.

"No! I almost died!" I yelled.

"But you didn't." Jiraiya said.

"But I could've!"

"But you didn't." Jiraiya added with another smile.

I glared at them for a few moments before finally standing up and pocketing my hands. "I'm outta here. I have someone to wait for." I grumbled as I turned and walked away.

"Is it that Uchiha kid you're always around?" At that, I stopped in my tracks before turning to look at him. "I've been observing you for a while Naruto. I've seen a fraction of the treatment you've experienced since day 1. I've seen the emotional turmoil you deal with inside of yourself each time you wake up. I've also seen the days were you felt like giving up, despite your determination to become Hokage." His words felt like knives in my chest. The memories I wanted so desperately to forget, started to surface and haunt me and my sanity. "I've seen a lot of bad things, but one of the most important things I've seen come out of it all… is the love you share with Sasuke Uchiha. It's obvious that you've devoted yourselves to one another. I can also see the pain in your eyes because you have to hide your relationship from the world. Sasuke doesn't care, but you do. You think that by not saying anything, you can protect him from the same fate as you. But, despite your efforts… you know that, deep down inside of you, you can't protect Sasuke from everything. You wish you can, don't you?"

I let his words sink into my head. My first thoughts estimated how long he's actually been watching me. Most of them dealt with the truth in his words. The connection Jiraiya and I shared was nowhere close to the one Sasuke and I share, but it was close enough. It felt weird having someone say most of your feelings out in front of you. Weird, and a little comforting.

"How do you know so much?" I finally said after a few minutes.

"It's my job as your godfather." He smirked before standing up to place his hand on my head. "Besides, what kind of legendary sennin would I be if I didn't know a lot of stuff." He ruffled my hair and ears for a little bit before letting his hand travel to my shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't tell about you and Sasuke. I may not agree with how you're deciding to protect him, but it's not my place to step in and interfere. The only thing I can do is watch over you from the shadows." I wasn't looking at him, but I could tell that he was smiling as he walked away from me. "Come on Naruto, Gamatatsu, Gamakichi. Let's go wait for Sasuke to show up."

"Oh, do you think we could get some snacks on the way?"

"Shut up Gamatatsu. You're gonna be as big as a house if you don't stop eating all those snacks." Gamakichi scolded.

"I'm telling Daddy!"

"Go ahead. He'll just tell you the same thing." Gamakichi said as he hopped away from his crying brother.

I watched the display with a small smile on my face. In that instance… I felt like my small ring of friends was starting to grow bigger. "Thanks you guys… You're the best." I whispered before following the arguing trio.

…

…

…

"You know, Naruto. I know that I don't always say it, but you really have grown stronger over the past month." Jiraiya said with a smirked, causing me to stop and stare at him. The two toad brothers were dismissed about an hour ago.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, you've managed to successfully complete all of the jutsus I've taught you within a short time period and also managed to add more power behind the delivery like I've never seen before. I'm very proud of you." The Toad Sage smiled as he scratched behind my ears.

My tail and leg started to twitch with excitement before pulling away. "Don't do that."

"Oh sorry. Is that something only _**Sasuke-chan**_ does for you?" He teased, causing me to growl. "Sorry, kid. Couldn't help myself."

"I bet that's what you say to _**everyone**_ you mess with." I rolled my eyes before lacing my fingers behind my head.

"All jokes aside… There's something important I have to ask you… While you were training, I noticed that you were struggling with some of the simplest jutsus for a while." I nodded in understanding.

"I noticed it to, but I thought that it was just my mind messing with me." I commented.

"At first, I thought that it was because you were stupid~"

"**HEY!"**

"But I later on realized that that wasn't the case. It's your chakra."

"My chakra?"

He nodded at my question. "Yeah. I don't know what it is, but to me it seems like something is corrupting your chakra and blocking some of it." I didn't say anything. I could only think about what he said. Knowing what I was thinking about, Jiraiya leaned in close enough for only me to hear. "Is it the Kyuubi?"

I shook my head. "No. But, I have talked to him on this matter." I replied.

"And what did he say?"

"He said that there is something blocking my chakra, but he doesn't know what it is. He's noticed it since the first day he taught me how to use my chakra. He thinks that it might have something to do with the seal my dad placed on me, but he isn't 100% percent sure." I informed.

"I see." He nodded as he stood up. "Well in any case, I'll do everything I can to try and figure out how to unlock it. Until then, have fun with your boyfriend and that group of kids behind you. Tootles." The old toad smirked and two-finger saluted me before disappearing.

"_Group of kids? What is he talking about?"_

"_**BOSS!"**_

"_**That group of kids, Kit."**_

I turned my head to see three academy students running up to me. One was a short brunet with a long scarf and white monkey ears and a long white monkey tail. That was Konohamaru, the Third Hokage's grandson and Asuma-sensei's nephew. The next one was a girl with orange hair that stuck up in two ponytails on top of her head. She also sported some white wings along her back. Her name was Moegi. She reminded me of a mini, sweeter Sakura. The last one was a another brunette wearing glasses with two white floppy dog ears on each side of his head and a short white dog tail wagging behind him. He's name is Udon.

"How ya doing, Boss?" All three of them yelled in unison.

"I'm fine. How have you guys been?" I smiled while rubbing each of their heads.

"We're fine, just ready to get out of the academy." Konohamaru said.

"I know you probably are, but you still have a long way to go." I said as I started walking to the gate again.

"I know. I just wish it'd hurry up." The little monkey grumbled.

"You shouldn't rush through your time there, Konohamaru. You still have a hard time with some of your jutsus and kunai throwing." Moegi shyly said.

"Hey, it's not my fault that Iruka-sensei doesn't have time for me."

"But Konohamaru, Iruka-sensei doesn't have time to always help you because you're always calling him." Udon sniffed.

"Besides the point." Konohamaru said back. "How am I supposed to be the next Hokage after Naruto if my sensei can't always help me?"

"Iruka-sensei helps those that help themselves. I remember when I was in the academy the days when I didn't feel like doing anything. And those were the same days he wouldn't help me with anything I didn't understand. He says he was trying to teach me a lesson about life and responsibility." I chuckled at the memory.

"That's stupid. If I was an academy teacher I would~" Konohamaru was cut off when he ran into someone's back before falling to the ground.

"You alright, Konohamaru?" Moegi asked as she ran over to him.

"Yeah I'm fine." The little monkey said as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Hey dummy! Watch where you're standing!"

"_**You got something to say to me punk?"**_ An older teen snared as he and a dirty blond girl turned around.

The boy wore all black with purple face paint and the scent of a crow. His black wings were folded on his and turned more towards the left while a large container of some sorts was hanging off his right shoulder. The girl had her dirty blond hair done in four small ponytails. She wore a purple off the shoulders kimono-like mini dress, a red sash and fishnets. Her white weasel ears nested in front of the top two ponytails while her long, slender tall was wrapped around a long black and thick stem. It must've been her weapon. Something that big must've been hard to wield, but powerful when used.

"_**Hey kid. I was talking to you."**_ The boy said as he yanked Konohamaru up. _**"I said… Do you have something to say to me?"**_

"No sir. I don't have anything to say." Konohamaru stuttered in the crow's grip.

"_**Thought so." **_The boy smirked.

"Hey! Put him down!" I yelled.

"_**Oh yeah? And who's going to make me?"**_

His smirk was still there when he leaned closer to me. With my strength, I ripped Konohamaru out of his grip before punching him in the face, causing him to fall on his ass.

"You alright, Kankuro?" The weasel girl asked as she kneeled beside the boy now known as Kankuro .

"Yeah. I'm fine." Kankuro whipped away the small trail of blood that leaked out of the side of his mouth. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"_**What's going on here?"**_ A sinister voice called, causing the pair to stiffen and before turning around.

"Gaara…" I heard the two whisper as they stared at the figure.

The boy behind them was as tall as me and Sasuke, but about three inches shorter than the female weasel and Kankuro. He had brick red hair, black circles under his eyes, pale skin, and foam green eyes. The color of his outfit was mostly blood red with a white sash wrapped around his shoulder and waist. His brown and black ears were standing at attention on top of his head while his average sized brown and black thick furred tail lightly swished behind him. I could smell the blood of a raccoon dog coming from him, but I barely missed it from his intimidating appearance. He reminded me of Zabuza… He reminded me of a demon.

"_He's like me… Isn't he Kyuubi?"_

"_**Yes. That's Gaara of the Sand. He's the one-tailed's vessel. Be careful, Kit. He's as dangerous as he looks… if not more."**_

"_**Well Temari? What the hell is going on?"**_ Gaara asked with an intense glare.

The girl known as Temari shakily pointed to Konohamaru and me. "Those punks caused trouble for us, so we tried to get rid of them."

"_**We are here to take the Chunin Exam and leave. Nothing more and nothing less. I WILL NOT have you two causing trouble… Am I clear?"**_

"Yes Gaara… We're sorry." The two bowed to the younger male.

Gaara only nodded before turning his attention towards us. I instinctively moved the three behind me as Gaara and I had a glaring match.

"_**You. You and I are one in the same." **_ Gaara finally said. I only nodded at his words. I knew what he was saying without asking. _**"I can sense the power you possess and it is delicious… What is your name?"**_

"_**I am Naruto Uzumaki, one of the many protectors of Konoha and I despise trash dirtying my village."**_ I growled as I bared my fangs and claws.

"You can't talk to Gaara like that!" Kankuro yelled.

"Yeah. You don't know who the hell you're messing with." Temari smirked, showing one of her fangs.

"_**I don't remember speaking to you two, but I defiantly remember speaking about you."**_ I growled without looking away from Gaara.

"_**You little brat. I'll teach you not to disrespect the Sand Siblings."**_ Kankuro yelled before lunging at me.

I was ready for him by standing my ground, but to my surprise he had stopped because he was hit in the face with a… pebble?

"Who the hell threw that? Come out and show yourself!" Kankuro yelled.

"_**Damn Dobe. I leave you for a month and you get in trouble the day I return? You really do need me to be your babysitter, huh?"**_

The voice belonging to the speaker was like music to my ears. I knew exactly who that voice belonged to and it filled to the core with relief and happiness. I turned to face my raven haired boyfriend, who was currently sitting in a tree while he tossed another pebble into the air before catching it and crushing it into dust.

"Sasuke…" I whispered with a little smirk on my face.

He nodded before glaring at the three 'Sand Siblings'. "Who are those losers?" Sasuke asked before jumping down to stand by me.

"Wouldn't you like to know, pretty boy." Temari smirked with a wink towards Sasuke.

"_**Stop flirting with our enemy."**_ Gaara growled as he shifted gazes between Sasuke and me.

"Sorry Gaara."

"Damn Temari. You can be such a hoe at times."

"Shut up Kankuro and just tell him who we are!" The dirty blond snapped.

Kankuro rolled his eyes before taking another step forward and clearing his throat. "We're known as the 'Sand Siblings'. Our Father was the late Fourth Kazekage. We're feared throughout all of Sunagakure, and we will be feared by the people of the Leaf Village as well." The crow smirked.

"So now that you know us… Why don't you tell us about you." Temari's smirk was still on her full, pink lips.

"_**I am Sasuke Uchiha, one of the remaining members from the late Uchiha Cat Clan. And I also despise filth from another village walking through my village."**_ Sasuke growled.

"Well I be damned. I never would've thought that we'd be facing off against the one and only Sasuke Uchiha. Hn. This outta be interesting." Kankuro smirked, but none of us really paid attention.

Gaara, Sasuke, and I continued to glare at each other. Neither of us took our eyes off the other. I don't know how long we stood there like that, but it must've been long enough for Gaara. He was the first to move.

"_**I've heard many storied about you, Sasuke Uchiha. The power radiating from you is something I would like to test. I want to fight you. I'll have you as an appetizer before I devour the delicious power and energy coming from my equal. Naruto Uzumaki… you had better not die during these examines… I want to be the one to take your life."**_ What Gaara had said was terrifying, but Sasuke and I nodded anyway. _**"Kankuro. Temari. We're leaving."**_ Gaara disappeared.

"Right Gaara." The two nodded before disappearing too.

We knew that they were gone, but none of us refused to move just yet.

"Man. Those two were scary." Udon said with a sniffle.

"N-n-n-n-o-o-o-o th-th-the-e-ey aren't."

"You're trembling Konohamaru." Moegi pointed out.

"I'm s-s-s-shaking with excitement." The little monkey trembled. "Come on. Guys. It's time for us to get back to the Academy before Iruka-sensei gives us detention again."

"Bye Boss!" The three kids waved before turning to leave.

I waved back until Sasuke said something to catch my attention. "Those are just a few of the others that we have to fight if we want to become chunin. They're going to be tough." I nodded at his words, but never turned to face him. "Come on… Let's go home." I felt him smile. I only nodded before following him down the dirt road.

…

…

…

When we got home, Sasuke went straight to the kitchen and started cooking. I tried to protest, but he only made me sit down and shut up. He said that he missed cooking actual meals and wanted to make sure he wasn't getting rusty. I could never argue with Sasuke once he had his mind made up.

After he finished cooking, we went up stairs so that he could unpack his bag. I sat on the bed while he finished up. I was deep in thought. Everything from meeting Jiraiya to the incident earlier plagued my mind.

"Alright. What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"What's wrong Naruto? You've been quiet ever since that incident with the 'Sand Siblings'." I didn't say anything as he stepped in front of me. He reached down and lifted my chin so that I could look him in the eyes. "Was it the villagers? Did they hurt you while I was gone?"

I only shook my head before pulling him down onto my lap. "No, they didn't do anything. I was too busy with my instructor anyway." I leaned up to peck his lips. "I'm glad that you're back. I missed you." I smiled.

"I missed you too." He smiled before leaning down to kiss my lips softly.

It felt nice having him back in my arms and kissing him again. This past month wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. I guess I have Jiraiya and the toad brothers to thank for that.

We started out nice and slow. I fell back onto the bed when he pushed more of his weight onto me. We continued to kiss while he straddled me. I had one hand buried in his raven hair while the other moved from his ass to his lower and the middle of his back and back again. He was practically tugging on my hair with one hand while the other pushed down my shoulder. I could feel his tail curl and wrap around my thick one. Soon things started to heat up.

The kiss became more lustful and passionate. Our tongues battled it out while Sasuke grounded his growing arousal down onto mine. We pulled away so that Sasuke could unzip my jacket and shirt and get it off of me while I did the same for me. When or lips connected again, the kiss was filled with all the passion and lust we held for each other.

Soon we were completely naked. We managed to scoot all the way to the pillows and headboard with Sasuke on his back and me between his legs. Our hands were all over each other, feeling familiar territory that hasn't been touched in a month. I moved from his lips to his neck, down his chest and stopped at his nipples. I rolled one with my index and thumb while using my tongue to caress the other one. The moans I earned from Sasuke were sweet and needy. His hands were on my shoulders and arms as his back arched.

I started to move lower, but didn't go any further. There was plenty of time for us to make love in different ways and do other things, but I needed him now. I needed to feel him now. I wanted to show him how much I've missed him through this act.

I traveled back up his torso until I reached his lips again. I kissed them hard and lovingly until I felt them bruise. While I did that, I reached into his nightstand and pulled out the lube. I pulled away so that I could lather up my fingers. Once they were nice and slick, I slowly started to push one in.

His entrance was warm and tight, kind of like the first time we did this. His face scrunched up at the feeling of being penetrated by my finger. It was probably hurting a little bit from not being penetrated after entire month. I wanted to make it as painless as possible. For each new finger, I made sure that he was comfortable before stretching him a little bit further. When he was stretched and moaning at each thrust, I removed my finger with a pop before opening his legs a little more and settling between them.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Yeah." He panted.

I lifted his hips a little bit before placing myself in front his entrance. I slowly started to push in, grunting as his claws latched onto my hips and dug them in. When his moans of pain were getting louder, I stopped and started thrusting however much length I had in him at that time. Once he was used to that, only then did I continue. Soon, his warmth engulfed my entire length. After he was used to the felling, I slowly pulled out before pushing back in, causing him to moan. That's what we did for a while before Sasuke's moans became less and less. That's when I started to thrust deeper and faster into his tightness. His claws were starting to hurt my hips, so I moved them to my back, so that it wouldn't hurt as much. I lifted his legs over my shoulders to get a better angle. He screamed in ecstasy when I had hit his bundle of nerves dead on. He held onto me for dear life as I rocked the bed and his body with my powerful thrusts.

Everything felt so good front the tips of my fox ears to every last cell in my toes. Being with Sasuke is like a dream, but when we engage in this act… it feels like we are one in the same. This a bond I can't share with anyone else.

I could tell that he was getting closer from his loud moaning and by the wall his claws were drawing blood as they raked down my back. I felt myself getting closer, so I sped up my thrusts. It felt as if my hips were being powered by an engine pistol at the speed they were going. And with one final cry, Sasuke emptied his seed onto our stomachs.

"**Naruto!"**

"Sasuke." I grunted as I emptied my seed into him.

We both collapsed into the bed as we tried to catch our breaths. When Sasuke finally retracted his claws from my back, I removed his legs before rolling off and laying next to him. The only sound in the whole room was our heavy breathing, but soon that slowed when Sasuke rolled over and cuddled into my chest. I hugged him close and pulled the covers over us before falling asleep with him.

…

…

…

The next morning, after I cleaned up the room, us and opened the windows to air out the room, I had remembered something that I promised Jiraiya two days ago.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Hm?" He hummed as he laid in bed.

"Remember you kept telling me that my hand writing was terrible?" He nodded. "Well, I was wondering if you could help me improve it?"

At this, he lifted his head to stare at me in confusion and wonder. "Um… Sure, I'll help you. Give me a piece of paper and a pencil." I nodded before retrieving what he wanted. Once he had his supplies, he began to write three sentences on the paper before giving it to me. "Rewrite those for me please and make sure you watch what you're doing."

I nodded before moving to the floor and proceeded to rewrite the sentences. I spent a good ten minutes on rewriting. By time I was done, the pencil lead and the eraser were almost gone before I handed Sasuke my paper. He looked it over before finally turning his gaze to me and handing my paper back.

"So, what do you think?" I asked with a grin on my face.

"After you spent ten minutes on your paper… your handwriting still sucks."


	11. Chuunin Exams Pt 1: The Written Portion

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Cussing… the usual stuff…

**Author's Note: **Sorry for being so late. A lot of things have been happening in my life, but now they're straightened out and hopefully I can be right back on schedule. And to make up for my LONG absence, I've created this nice long baby for you guys. Hope you enjoy it. ^^:3~

**Chapter 10: Chuunin Exams Pt. 1: The Written Portion**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

**(1 week: July 25****th****)**

After an entire week of practice, Naruto's handwriting has slightly improved. I told him to give up, but he, of course, said no. So he practiced day in and day out. I'm glad that it's improving, but I'm worried about the rate at which it is improving. I think he might be a slow learner when it comes to school stuff, like writing and studying. But, when it comes to training, he can pick up anything within minutes. I told him this before. He just laughed it off and said that that's how it's always been before returning back to his writing practice. Seeing him so determined about this small thing puts a smile on my face and makes me want to encourage him even more.

After I returned from my month long training session and spent the night making love with Naruto, I was placed on bed rest and catered to by said boyfriend. He refused to let me out of the bed if I didn't have a nice excuse, like going to the bathroom. For my birthday, two days ago, he made me stay in bed while he tried to bake me a birthday cake. It took him hours to try and make the perfect cake, but when we ate it together… We threw it back up and immediately threw it out. I lost count of how many apologies he made. I forgave him and suggested that we go out and buy one. He immediately declined and forced me into bed. He wanted to buy it for me. Knowing where this conversation was heading, I sighed in defeat before giving him the money to buy one. He declined that too and left before I could say another word. When he returned, he was dressed as a blond girl with two pigtails, whiskerless cheeks, and wearing a pink dress. I didn't even ask him why he was wearing that. I knew the reason.

I hate that fact that Naruto has to dress different if he ever wanted to buy something. But, he just looked so happy, so I didn't push the issue. He gave me a small cake, because he knew how I felt about sweets, and a brand new set of weapons and scrolls. When I asked him where he got the money from, he said that he's been saving it… for me. He said that since I was helping with paying for his apartment and for being a great boyfriend that he wanted to spend what he saved up on me. Before I could object, he kissed my lips and ran out the room to change back. Even after all of that, he still wanted me to remain on bed rest. I hated being waited on, but it still felt nice. I managed to do some meditating and clear my head.

I barely got any sleep the night before Kakashi and I returned to the village. I was actually excited about coming home. Coming home to Naruto. It still felt weird being able to come home and actually have someone there waiting for me. It reminded me of when I was a kid. I would come home from school and run into my mother's awaiting arms. I would barely see my father, but when Itachi and I spent time together, that's when I would forget about pleasing my father.

It wasn't as if I was pleasing him anyway. _**Itachi **_was always the 'golden child'. The only son that everyone only son that actually had something going for him. The only son that was recognized for being him… The only son my father was ever proud of… My mother was the only one who actually loved me.

She would shower me with so much love and affection that I valued her over anyone else. Sure Itachi was my hero, but he ended up betraying me in the end. My father only played favorites. But my mother… she was the one who stayed true to me to the very end. Before she was murdered by Itachi, she would tell me about how much my father talked about me. She even told me that he considered me his favorite, but we all knew that it was a lie. Anyone with eyes could see that. Everything my mother would say about my father was a lie, but I would never be angry with her. I hated the look on her face whenever I would be rejected by Itachi or my father. She would pick me up and tell me soothing lies. I knew they were lies, but they still calmed me down and made me smile. She may have been telling me lies, but she was lying to me to cheer me up. That's why I loved her deeply. She would go to great lengths to protect me and make me smile. Her death devastated me the most. My father and Itachi could be dragged to hell and I wouldn't give a damn. I could never please my father and Itachi was just a heartless bastard. But my mother… she was the one that truly mattered. Sometimes I would look up at the sky and feel her smiling down on me. Even in death… she was still smiling at me. Whenever I would wake up crying… it would be because of her. Because I missed her… Because she meant everything to me… Because she~

"Stop spacing out like that. It's creepy." Naruto said as he poked me in the forehead.

"Stop it." I sighed as I smacked his hand away.

"What were you thinking about anyway?" Naruto asked while moving to sit next to me on the bed. "Was it about your mother again?"

"Yeah." I nodded before whipping away a lone tear. "I guess I just miss her so much." I sniffed. "Sorry. I keep forgetting that you don't know what having a family is like."

"It's alright." He shook his head. "I may not know what having a family is like, but I have you. And it feels like we're a family. And I know how devastated I would be if I lost you, so I guess that's good enough." He smiled.

He's always smiling. I like his smile. It's bright and happy. It reminds me of the sun. It makes me want to smile too. So I did. I smiled and nodded. We stayed quiet for a few minutes before a realization hit me.

"Hey Naruto. You never told me about the first seven years of your life. I mean, I knew that you were on your own this whole time, but it still baffles me as to how you made through your infant years." I asked.

"I don't really remember. The first seven years of my life were like a blur. I remember being raised, but for some reason my memory didn't really form until I was seven years old." Naruto said as he played with his tail.

"So you remembered being raised, but you don't remember who raised you?" I asked.

"Pretty much." He smiled again.

At that I let it go. There was no point in pushing the issue any further. It was ok if the dobe didn't remember. I didn't want to make anything painful surface. I don't know how long we stayed quiet, but I didn't mind. I actually enjoy these times. They're just another reminder of the different persona Naruto holds. Even though we've been together for two months, Naruto still manages to surprise me. He's romantic, smart, courageous… everything I could possibly want in a significant other. He was perfect…

Out the corner of my eye, I saw Naruto's fluffy tail wrap around my silky one before he laid his head in my lap. Subconsciously, my hand moved toward his head and scratched his orange and white ears.

"Hey Sasuke?"

"Yeah?" I said as I looked down at him.

"Do ya think we'll pass the written part of the exam?"

"I hope so, Naruto. I hope so." I sighed as I continued scratching his ears.

"Yeah me too. If I pass these exams, then I'll be one step closer to becoming Hokage!" He cheered with the widest grin on his face.

"I'm sure you'll pass and I know that I'll pass."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Just a feeling." I calmly answered. "But Sakura is the one I'm worried about."

"She's smart. I'm pretty sure she'll pass, but if she doesn't then that means the world is ending." He laughed.

"That's not funny." I lightly glared. "If she doesn't pass then we can't progress. How can you be so calm over this?"

"Relax Sasuke. Sakura isn't just smart but she's also our teammate. Have a little faith in her." He took my hand and kissed each one of my smooth knuckles. "She might be annoying, but she's smart and dedicated to you. She won't fail because she's afraid of how you'll judge her. She wants to be valuable to you. So, she's even more determined _**NOT **_to fail."

What Naruto said shocked me, but not so much. When you're exposed to the brain power that Naruto has, things like this become more common. "You're right. I'm worrying for nothing."

"Like always." Naruto chuckled.

"What does that mean?" I said with one eyebrow raised.

"It means that you're a bit of a worry wart."

"No I'm not." I said.

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not." I argued back.

"Sasuke. You barely want me to go into battle because you fear for my safety." Naruto argued as he sat up on his elbows.

"Because you're reckless!"

"Even if I wasn't reckless you'd still worry."

"Well forgive me for making sure you're not going to hurt yourself, Dobe." I huffed with my arms crossed.

"It's alright Sasuke. At least I know that my baby actually loves me." He cooed.

Something in me snapped, causing me to push Naruto onto the floor before standing up and walking out of the room with my arms crossed. "You can lay there all day and see if I care then."

"I'm sorry Sasuke. You know I didn't mean that." He pleaded.

"Yeah. We'll see how sorry you are after these exams." I said before walking downstairs. "Come on Dobe. We have to be in the exam room before a certain time or else we won't get to take it." I said.

"Coming!" He yelled.

We put on our sandals before locking the house up and heading out.

…

…

…

"Hey Sasuke?" I turned my head towards Naruto to let him know that I was listening. "Are you ready for this exam?"

I nodded. "But the question is are _**you **_ready?" I asked.

"I was born ready." He grinned with his hands laced behind his head.

We were walking to the exam area to take the first part of our exam, the written portion. Today is the official start of the Chuunin Exams. None of us knew anything about these exams, so Kakashi sat down with us and explained it to us. First was the written part. According to him, everyone on the team must pass in order to move forward. If a team passes the written portion, then they'll move onto the Forest of Death. There, we'll spend five days collecting the Scroll of Heaven or the Scroll of Earth (depending on the scroll that each team gets). After passing that, we move onto the finals. In the final portion, we're no longer a team and have to fight tournament like battles until the Council decides who will become Chuunin. I have to admit that I was pretty nervous when I heard all of this, but as long as we take it one step at a time then we'll be alright. The first thing we need to do is pass the written portion first.

"Well… here we are." Naruto sighed before turning to me. "This where we take our first step to becoming Chunin. Ready?" He asked me. I only nodded in response before watching as he pushed the door open for us.

When we opened the doors, Sakura was waiting against the wall. She must've heard us because she looked at us with her white bunny ears and cotton tail perked up.

"Hello Sasuke-kun, Naruto." She smiled with a wave.

I didn't make a noise as I passed her to lean against the wall. I still didn't particularly like her after the horrific behavior she displayed towards Naruto over the years. She may have apologized, but I still wasn't up for forgiving her so quickly. I think she could sense that. Behind my bangs I could see her white bunny ears and cotton tail drop in depression.

"Hi Sakura-chan."Naruto smiled with a wave.

She lightly smiled with a nod. "So… we're all here…" Sakura sighed.

"_**Well isn't this just perfect? I'm glad to see that you all made it here today."**_

We jumped in surprise when we heard someone speak. All of our hearts were racing and blood pounded in our ears before turning to see who the speaker is.

"Damn, Kakashi-sensei. Will ya stop scaring us like that? Is sneaking up on us really that necessary?" Naruto groaned as he rubbed his ears.

"Sorry guys. I didn't mean to scare you like that." Kakashi apologized while nervously laughing. "But, anyway, I just came here to congratulate you three on showing up today… especially you, Sakura."

"Thanks Kakashi-sensei. I will admit that I wasn't going to show up, but I couldn't let my team down. So, here I am." She nervously laughed.

"Well I'm glad that you did come. Naruto and Sasuke's ability to take these exams depended on your decision to show up or not. That's why I didn't want to tell you that. I didn't want Naruto or Sasuke to pressure you into coming here. I wanted you to make the decision to come here by yourself. If you had not come, then your journey to become chunin would've ended here." We all nodded in understanding. I was actually glad that she did show up. I would've been mad had she not."Naruto. Sasuke. Sakura. Today, you will enter through these doors as genin and hopefully leave through these doors as chunin. Good luck team." Kakashi nodded.

We nodded too before opening the doors that led to the examination room. I already knew what was behind these doors… I just didn't know that I would become fearful of it.

…

…

…

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

When we entered the examination room, I felt my stomach do five backflips. I knew that there were going to be other teams taking these exams, but I didn't think there were going to be this many. Everyone in the room turned and looked at us with terrifying glares. There were boys and girls from the ages of probably 15- 20 something. If I had to guess, that's the same number of genin wearing headbands from different villages. I saw Sound, Sand, Wave, Rock, and even some from our villagers here.

"_They look angry."_

"_**Don't be imitated, Kit. They're just trying to scare you off." **_I heard Kyuubi say.

"_Well it's working."_

"_**They may be scary, but they do not posse the power that you do."**_

"_What? You? Because I believe that would be categorized as cheating, Kyuu."_

"_**No. Well that too. But, I was referring to your determination to accomplish your dream. They're only here for power. You're here for pure reasons. You are ready for these exams. You can do it."**_

"_Thanks Kyuubi. I feel somewhat better now."_

"_**Anytime, Kit. Now, go kick this exam's ass."**_

I felt calm, but I could feel the intenseness that Sasuke was feeling. In an effort to calm him down, I sent some of my chakra in his direction. It's a trick I picked up a few days ago. Whenever Sasuke and I would fight, or if he was worried, I would send some of my chakra to him and he would calm down immediately. I don't know if it has to do with reminding him of my presence or if it's about that fact that he summits to me has to do with it. I'm just thankful that it works every time. And this time is no different. When I sent out my chakra, his body loosened up. He looked over in my direction before nodding in thanks. I nodded back, but didn't stop sending out my chakra. The more I sent out, the more he calmed down.

"_**Well, well, well. Look who it is." **_I retracted my chakra when I heard someone speaking. We all turned our head to see Shikamaru and Choji walking up to us. The speaker turned out to be Shikamaru. _**"I knew that these exams were going to be a drag, but with you three here it'll be even more of a drag."**_ The genius said in a bored tone.

"Yeah. You guys shouldn't have even come. With Naruto's brain power, you might as well forfeit now." Choji laughed while munching on his bag of chips.

Shikamaru's clansmen are deer. His creamy antlers were small, but stood out on the side of his head. His chocolate brown hair was pulled back into a high ponytail. And, if I remember correctly, his tail was brown with a layer of black and white making an arrow pointing to the tip. He is nothing but a lazy bastard, but he's also one of the smartest genin of our generation, besides Sasuke. He can use his shadow to capture and control others. Most of the time, he'll already have them in his grasp before they know what's happening. He's one we definitely have to worry about.

Choji was pretty large for his age, but that was only because he ate a lot. His clansmen are bears, which is very appropriate for his behavior. He'll eat anything in sight. His light brown hair was standing at attention in two directions thanks to his headband. On his chubby cheeks are two large red swirls. If you look closely, you can see his small round ears hiding amongst his spiked hair. Behind him is a small brown bear tail. Another reason why he eats a lot is because he can stretch his body into large and dangerous things, like a bolder or a giant rolling sphere.

These two are the closest friends you'll ever find, other than Sasuke and me, and everyone can see why. Shikamaru finds simple tasks, such as walking and carrying things, troublesome. He spends most of his day laying in the grass or laying on a building, gazing at the sky and cloud watching or sleeping. Choji doesn't bother him and even travels with him to cloud watch. They're like two peas in a pod.

"What makes you two so confident?" Sakura asked as she stepped closer to me.

"C'mon. I may be lazy, but I was one of the smartest genin in our class… In case you forgot." Shikamaru smirked.

"Yeah. With Shikamaru on our team, we can't lose." Choji grinned as he ate more chips. Out of nowhere, a pale hand smacked the chubby bear on the head. "Oww." The bear whined as he rubbed his sore spot.

"_**What have I told you about eating all the damn time?"**_Ino sighed with her hands on her hips.

"Ow Ino. That hurts." Choji continued whining.

"Well, if you wouldn't eat so much I wouldn't have to hit you to remind you." Ino sighed again before she noticed Sasuke. And the minute that happened, she latched herself onto him faster than a tick could hop on a dog. _**"Hi Sasuke-kun. Where have you been? I haven't seen you since we were assigned our teams. By the way, I'm still sorry that you have to be paired up with Billboard Bunny over there. I bet she's more useless than a pile of twigs."**_Ino laughed.

"Please get off of me, Ino." Sasuke signed in frustration with a hand over his face.

"_**YEAH! GET OFF MY SASUKE-KUN, INO-PIG!"**_ Sakura hissed with her fist clenched and her ears erect.

"Why should I? Sasuke-kun doesn't belong to anyone. And even if he did, he'd sooner go with Naruto than your ugly ass." Ino laughed.

"_**Damn, she's more of a bitch than Sakura."**_Kyuubi cringed.

"_You don't know how right you are, Kyuu."_

Ino is a skinny girl with her long blond hair tied back into a high ponytail. On both sides of her head are two small pink pointed pig ears. Behind her is a small matching, curly tail. Despite her clan being a bunch of pigs, they're actually neat, clean, and self-conscious of their weight and appearances. I think that this is why she has such a bitchy attitude. Her parents own a flower shop somewhere in the village. That's where her parents teach her all of their clan's techniques. They specialize in using flowers in whatever attack they land. But, what makes her dangerous is her clan's special mind transfer jutsu. They can go inside other people's mind and take over their body. The only problem with that is that they have to have someone guard their body while they control their opponent.

Ino is like the mother that keeps Shikamaru and Choji in line. And because of this, they are a pretty dangerous team. But, I can't let that shake me. They may be tough and dangerous, but so are we.

"_**INO-PIG! GET. OFF. MY. SASUKE-KUN. NOW!" **_ Sakura screeched as she rolled up her sleeve, ready to attack her rival.

"Or what, Billboard-Bunny? You gonna punch me? Ha. You're the weakest girl here, besides Hinata. Hell, I bet even Hinata could kick your ass up and down Konoha's streets." Ino laughed.

"_**Wanna be the first to find out if your prediction is correct, Ino?"**_

We turned our heads to see Kurenai-sensei's team. The speaker turned out to be Kiba. To his right Hinata and to his left Shino.

"What are _**you **_doing here, Dog-boy?" Ino glared before removing herself from Sasuke's neck.

"Taking the exams. Obviously. Hn. Maybe you are dumber than Naruto. But, that's beside the point. Who the hell do you think you are insulting Hinata like that, ya bitch." He growled.

"I was only speaking the truth and you know it. Besides, I can insult whoever I want whenever I want." Ino smirked as she turned her back to Kiba.

I smacked a hand over my face before using said hand to rub it.

"_**They just might kill each other before these exams even start."**_ Kyuubi laughed.

"_Tell me about it."_

At this point, the spike in Kiba's chakra let everyone in the room how furious he was.

Kiba has always gotten angry when it came to people insulting Hinata. Even when we were little, he would be the first one defending the soft spoken mouse. I think it had a lot to do with his canine nature.

Kiba's clan is made up of dogs, hence the reason as to why he has brown dog ears, and a long shaggy, brown tail. His ears and shaggy brown hair are usually covered by a grey hoodie with black fur on the hood and at the end of the sleeves. Dogs are loyal to the people that are most important to them. Hinata was always important to him… because he's always had this big crush on her. But I don't think she notices. Although, I don't know how she could put up with his loud ass. Back when we were friends, people could never decide who was the loudest between the two of us. They used to say that we could be related because we act the same. I don't see it. I mean, after all, Kiba is a loudmouth, stubborn, hot shot that likes to show off in front of the person he likes. Even Sasuke says that we're practically the same person, but I don't see it.

His attacks are mostly combos that he and his white dog, Akamaru, do together. Akamaru is his faithful canine companion that's been with him since his youth. I think he got him after we stopped being friends. All I know is that those two are another pair that are inseparable. They can usually be seen with Akamaru sitting on Kiba's grey hoodie.

"_**Then you need your prescription changed to some thicker lens, Kit." **_My demon laughed.

"_Shut up you over grown hairball."_

"Um Kiba." Hinata's soft voice spoke out while she reaching out and grabbing Kiba's arm. "You don't have to be angry with Ino. She was only speaking the truth."

At this, Kiba's anger immediately disappeared before turning to face his crush. "Hinata. You are _**not**_ weak. You are the strongest girl I know. Don't let this bitch make you think otherwise." Although his words were rough and harsh his expression and voice was very soft and full of concern, causing the girl to blush lightly.

"It's alright Kiba. You don't have to lie to me. I know I'm the weakest girl here. Even now, I still doubt my ability to pass these exams. So, it's ok if Ino is insulting me. After all, she _**is **_ only speaking the truth."

"Hinata…" Kiba light sighed. His expression or voice never changed.

Hinata only shook her head before moving to stand in front of Kiba. "Ino, I do not hold any anger towards you for what you said. You are right… about everything." She smiled before turning towards Sakura. "And, if it makes you feel any better, I think that you'd be the one to whip the floor with me… if we were to fight."

"_**She's too nice. She won't last."**_

"_Yes she will. She's stronger then she gives herself credit for. Just the fact that she knows that she's afraid, but still managed to show up is proof enough of how strong she really is. But, as for her being too nice, that's just how she's always been. She'll never change that about herself."_

Hinata is a part of the Hyuga Clan. That is the only clan left in the village after the Uchiha Massacre. Hinata is a mouse. She had chin length raven bangs while the rest of it lightly spikes out in the back, but doesn't even touch her neck. On both sides of her head are two round white ears that match her long white tail and white eyes and bring out her purple highlights. I don't exactly know how she fights, but I know that she can.

"Kiba's right, for once, Hinata. You _**are **_strong. You just need to believe in yourself a little bit more." I said while moving to stand a little closer to her.

"Naruto?" Her entire face turned red before she fell backwards.

"I've got you." Shino said as he moved to catch her.

"Breathe Hinata. In and out. Just like I taught you." Kiba said as he waved his hand in front of her face.

"Thanks guys." Hinata panted.

Shino is one weird guy. I don't know much about him, except that his clan made some type of deal where bugs live inside of their bodies and feed off their chakra, allowing their hosts to use them. Kind of gross if ya ask me. I don't know what kind of insect Shino is, but if I had to guess I'd say he was a beetle, since he has two black antennas sticking out the top of his slightly less shaggy brown hair. Another thing that makes him weird is the fact that he wears sunglasses all the time. I don't know what that is about, but it's still weird.

"Naruto, you idiot. You're not supposed to be fraternizing with the enemy." Sakura sighed in annoyance before reeling her fist back

She was about to punch me, but Sasuke moved to catch her fist with a deadly glare. _**"Don't."**_ he growled.

Her eyes widen at the threatening intent behind his words before lowered her fist, ears, eyes and head. "Sorry." She whispered before moving to lean against the wall.

I looked at him and nodded my head in a silent 'thank you' before glaring at him for threatening her. He glared back at me. We learned how to communicate through our minds without others hearing us.

"_You shouldn't have threatened her like that." _I said.

"_Hn. That was hardly a threat. But, it was well deserved. She was gonna punch you."_ Sasuke shrugged.

"_I know that, but you still don't go around threatening your teammate. How do you think that makes us look as a team?"_

"_**Her**__ hauling off and punching you makes us look bad. I only did it to prevent us from looking even worse than we probably already do." _He glared harder.

That response caused me to smirk lightly. _"See. I told you that you were a worrywart."_

"_Keep it up and you're gonna get it when we get home."_ He sighed before leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

"_I'll be looking forward to getting __**'it'**__ when we get home." _I smirked a little harder.

"_Perv."_ He sighed before cutting me off.

"_**This is the famous 'Rookie 9' that we've been hearing about? You're all beyond pathetic."**_

We all turned our heads to see three more people coming. These three look about one year older than us. The one who spoke had long brown hair that was tied at the end, white eyes like Hinata, but white snow lion ears and tail. To his right is a girl with brown hair that was tied into two buns. In front of her buns were two light brown money ears and a matching monkey tail behind her. On the boy's left is another weirdo with black hair that's cut into a bowl shape and wearing a green spandex suit with orange leg warmers. On top of his head are two yellow cheetah ears with black spots. Behind him is a matching tail.

"Neji." Hinata whispered as she moved to hide behind Kiba.

"Hinata." The long haired boy answered with a glare.

"Who the hell are you three?" Kiba asked.

"We are Team Guy. We graduated from the academy last year and are here to take the Chunin Exams just like you. My name is Tenten." The monkey girl smirked.

"My name is Neji Hyuga." The snow lion said with his arms crossed.

"Wait. You're a Hyuga too? So that means that you're related to Hinata, right?" Sakura asked.

"_**How stupid is this chick?"**_ Kyuubi asked.

"_Kyuubi. Be nice."_

"That is correct. Hinata is my cousin, but I do not associate myself with a weakling like her." Neji said.

"_**What did you say, punk?"**_ Kiba growled.

"You heard me, mongrel. I do not associate myself with her side of the family."

"Why?" Choji asked.

"It's because I was born in the Main House or the Mouse House, making me our clan's heiress. Neji was born in the Branch House or the Snow Lion House, meaning that he cannot learn the abilities that are taught the Mouse House." Hinata explained.

"And that is why I hold animosity towards her." Neji turned his glare onto Hinata before pointing a finger at her. "_**She **_is a weakling that does not deserve to be the next heir to our clan!" His words make Hinata hide behind Kiba even more and infuriated Kiba and I. Neji lowered his arm and turned away with his eyes closed. "If you ask me… she should be disowned for being so weak."

"That's enough!" I growled before moving to stand in his face. At this point, everyone in the room was looking at me with all kinds of expressions, but I didn't care. I stood before him with my fists clenched and my fangs bared. "I don't partially care about your personal jealousy with Hinata, but I think it's completely stupid. I just met you and I already don't like you. I will not stand here and let you insult Hinata like that. Hinata is not weak. She is a strong and determined fighter that will kick your butt any given day of the week!"

"Naruto may not be my most favorite person in the world, but he's right. I won't stand here and let you talk bad about her either!" Kiba growled too, moving to stand next to me.

"You two could never understand what we upper clans have to deal with, so why don't you two stay quiet and stay in your place before I put you there." Neji growled back at us.

"_**We'd like to see you try."**_ Both Kiba and I hissed.

Out the corner of my eye, I saw the black haired cheetah was staring at Sakura with hearts in his eyes before running over to her. "Hi, beautiful bunny! My name is Rock Lee. What is your name?"

"Sakura?" She answered with concern in her voice.

"Such a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl. Please go on a date with me, Sakura-chan." He shouted as he held her hand and moved to kneel on one knee.

"_**Well he's direct. I'll give him that. Stupid, but direct."**_ Kyuubi said.

"What! No! I don't wanna date you!" Sakura cringed as she snatched her hand away.

"Well, Sakura. Looks like you finally found someone who actually likes you." Ino laughed.

"Shut up. Ino-pig."

"Ohhhhh please go on a date with me." Lee whined.

"No!"

"Why not?" Lee whined again as he deflated onto the ground.

"First of all, you're not my type. You have ugly thick eyebrows. You're even more hyper and more annoying than Naruto. But, the most important reason is because I'm waiting for Sasuke-kun to ask me out on a date." Sakura answered.

"Never gonna happen." Ino faked cough.

"Then I will defeat this Sasuke-kun and earn your love." Lee declared before turning towards all of us. "Who is Sasuke?"

"I am Sasuke." Sasuke spoke as he pushed himself off of the wall.

"Oh, so you're the famous Sasuke Uchiha I've been hearing about." Bushy Brow smirked.

"Depends on what you've been hearing." Sasuke responded.

"I've heard about how strong you and your clan once was before that faithful day. My heart goes out to you. But, ever since I found that out, I've always wanted to challenge the last Uchiha in Konoha. I would like to see just how I stack up against you. Then, maybe Sakura-chan will see how much better I am and go out with me!" Lee cheered.

"Never gonna happen." Sakura sighed in the background.

"Sounds exciting. You seem to know your stuff and you don't seem like such a weakling. I accept your challenge. If we don't face each other in the arena, then I will see to it that we face each other soon." Sasuke smirked as they stood face to face.

"Yayaya. I get two guys fighting over me. I bet you never had that happen, Ino." Sakura smirked.

"It doesn't count if you don't like one of them, genius." Ino sighed.

"Why do you always have to ruin the mood with your mouth?" Sakura glared.

"And besides, they're not fighting over you. Lee wants to fight _**for **_you and fight Sasuke-kun at the same time. But, Sasuke-kun wants to fight Lee to challenge his strength. Why would Sasuke-kun fight over an ugly bitch like you anyway?" Ino laughed.

"Wanna settle this outside?" Sakura growled as she readied her fists.

"Lead the way." Ino smirked with her fists clenched.

"_**Wow. You twelve sure have a lot of problems."**_

We all turned our heads to see a man with silver hair and glasses. On top of his head are two silver wolf ears and silver tail, each with a black line running down the middle. He almost looks like a sunk.

"Where are all these guys coming from?" Tenten sneered with hands on her hips.

"Who are you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Oh please forgive me. My name is Kabuto Yakushi. I am here with my team. We are from the Sound Village. We are also here to take the Chunin Exams too. I had heard that the famous 'Rookie 9' would be here and wanted to get a chance to meet each and every one of you. But, it already feels as if I had already met all of you."

"What do you mean by that?" Shino asked.

"I have managed to create information cards on all of you." He grinned before pulling out cards that had all of our information on there. "On each of these cards are your stats and fighting styles. I even have cards for those three over there." He nodded his head towards the Sand Siblings we met earlier.

We each took a card that our information on it. Mine was the emptiest, but it was still weird to see that a complete stranger had created cards on each of us.

"_**I don't trust him."**_

"_Me neither, Kyuubi. Better be careful around him."_

"_**Why not just kill him off now?"**_

"_No. Let's wait and see what happens. I would be stupid to kill him and we don't even know his true motives. He might just be a weirdo stalker of some sorts."_

"_**Or he could be a villain."**_

"_I still don't wanna risk it. Not here anyway."_

"_**I hope you know what you're doing, Naruto."**_Kyuubi sighed.

I looked at the card one more time before giving it back to him. "Where did you get the information needed to make these cards anyway?" I asked with my eyes narrowed.

"I have my ways." Kabuto smirked as he took the card back.

"You're a fucking stalker and a weirdo, dude." Kiba said as he handed his card back.

"Let's just say that I know ways to get what I want." Kabuto put the cards away. "I must say, you twelve must like making scenes wherever you go. Just look at all the people you've managed to annoy before the test even started." We all looked around the room and became suddenly nervous at all the glares we were getting. "Well good luck to you guys. I hope to meet you again in the exams." And with that Kabuto disappeared in the crowd of angry genin.

"_**Alright maggots, listen up!"**_ The room fills with smoke before a badger man with scares on his face and brown and black badger ears sticking out of his headband and a tail along with many other people show up. _**"I am Ibiki Morino and it's time to take the test. Have a seat where you see your name."**_ We all scrambled to find the seat where our names were. When everyone was finally seated, the badger man slammed a stack of papers on his desk. I'm guessing those were our tests. _**"Today, you'll be taking the written part of the Chunin Exams. But, before we do that, there are a few rules that we need to go over. Rule one: You will each start off with ten points and with each question you get wrong you will lose a point. If you get a perfect score, then you will keep all ten of your points. Rule two: For every time you are caught cheating, two points will be subtracted from your total score. If you are caught cheated five times, then you will be disqualified. Final rule: If one of your teammates gets all the questions wrong, then they will be immediately disqualified. You have an hour to complete this portion of the exam. When there is only 15 minutes left in the teat, I will tell you. Within those 15 minutes, you'll have the ability to answer the last question in the way you see fit. But, I must warn you… if you answer that question wrong, then you will never be able to retake these exams and will forever remain a genin. I hope you're ready to take this portion. Good luck, maggots." **_The older badger cleared his throat before straightening out our tests with a smile. _**"Oh. Before I pass your tests out, there is one more thing I should tell you. You all will be scored as a team. That means that we'll add the scores from each one of your teammate, add it up, and give you your total score. If your score meets the qualifications, then you'll be able to pass onto the next round. This little tidbit goes along with the last rule. If one of your teammates gets disqualified, then the entire team gets disqualified and will have to wait until next year to take the test again. I just thought that I would let you know that."**_ The smirk that Ibiki was holding was immediately whipped off when the entire room began to groan and complain. _**"Quit your groaning and complaining. I could have NOT told ya, right?"**_ My light blue eyes were trained on his every muscle twitch as he handed the tests out. Once the tests were passed out, Ibiki returned to his desk and slammed his hands on it. _**"BEGIN!"**_

I picked up my pencil and prepared to answer the questions on my paper, but when I looked at all the questions… none of them made any sense.

"_What the hell is this shit? None of this makes any sense."_

The questions on this paper were too hard for even me to answer. The only on that made sense was the last one, question #10. Leaving that one being the only one I answered first.

"_Well that one was easy enough."_

"_**Maybe the other ones are the kind you have to read in between the lines?" **_Kyuubi questioned.

"_Naw, they're pretty much a bunch of math mumbo jumbo. They're practically impossible for me to solve."_ I sighed as my eyes remained trained to the questions on the paper.

"_**They may be impossible for you to solve, but maybe someone ELSE may know how to solve it."**_

"_Are you suggesting I cheat?"_ I raised an eyebrow while saying that.

"_**Now what kind of a parent would I be if I told you to do that. A bad one, that's one. That's why I'm TELLING you to cheat. You need at least need one of the questions to be right. Plus, you don't even know if that's the right answer. What if you're wrong? You'll not only get Sakura and Sasuke disqualified, but you'll also remain a genin forever with NO chance at becoming Hokage. Don't you wanna answer that question after you've given it some more thought first?"**_ Kyuubi practically begged.

"_I am confident in my answer, but if I'm wrong… then I am wrong. That's a risk I am willing to take. As for you telling me to cheat… I refuse to do so. A true ninja does not use others to skate by in life. There are going to be times where I am going to be on that field all by myself. If I use other people to get me ahead and I whine up in that position, then I'm screwed. No, I'm going to answer these questions to the best of my abilities. Plus, if I get caught cheating, then that's two extra points knocked off my score. I'm going to need all of the points I can save."_

I didn't really pay attention when Kyuubi gave a long, breathless sigh. _**"I can see that no matter what I say, you'll only be as hardheaded as ever. So, I wish you luck on these exams. You know that I'm here for you if and when you need me. Hope you know what you're doing, Kit."**_

"_Have a little faith in me for once, Dad."_ I smirked before returning to my test. _"I wonder how Sasuke's doing." _I used my chakra to find a link to his. I lightly smiled when I did. _"How ya holding up, Baby?"_

"_**What did I tell you about calling me that?"**_ He growled, causing me to smile a little wider.

I sent out a little bit of my chakra to calm him down. I knew that he was only getting angry because of the frustration this test was causing. _"Relax Sasuke. If you keep getting frustrated, then you won't be able to focus."_

"_Sorry."_ He sighed. _"I'm just frustrated because-"_

"_These questions make no sense?"_ I finished.

"_Yeah. And plus, I'm worried about you. You know that math and writing isn't exactly your strong suit."_

"_I know that, but I'm still going to at least try."_

"_Naruto, I know that you might object, but~"_

"_**We're NOT cheating, Sasuke."**_ I lightly growled as I gripped my paper.

"_How did you know I was even going to say that?"_ I could feel him glaring at me from his seat in the room.

"_Call it a hunch."_ I sighed as I released my paper. _"Sasuke, we can't cheat… It's not right."_

"_Listen to me, Naruto. I figured it out. They~"_

"_Sasuke. I love you, so I will overlook if you cheat, but please… let me do things my way. Good luck, Baby."_

"_Wait! Naru~" _That's when I cut off the link to Sasuke and denied it when he tried reconnecting it.

This test was something I wanted to do on my own and didn't want to do what Sasuke and Kyuubi were forcing me to do. All the sounds my ears were catching weren't helping either. They were all the sounds of almost everyone in this room cheating. I could sense one of Shino's bugs buzzing around. I can hear the almost silent barks of Akamaru. I can also hear the creaking of the four mirrors above our heads, being controlled by Tenten. In the back, I heard someone's body fall onto the desk. I'm guessing that Ino must've used her mind transferring abilities on someone. And, without a doubt, that someone has to be Sakura. The only sound that I can hear, that isn't cheating, is everyone's pencil moving and the clock ticking away.

It was stressful to hear all of these things while trying to answer these impossible questions. I feel the time ticking away faster than expected and the stress isn't helping my body. I know I said that cheating is wrong, but I~ No wait. What am I saying. I can't cheat. It's immoral. It's underhanded. It's~

"Um, Naruto." A soft voice called.

I turned to my right and saw Hinata sitting there. _"Humph. I wonder why I didn't see her before?"_

"Hey Hinata. What's up?"

"I saw you struggling and wondered if… well… if you wanted to cheat off of me?" She choked out, shocking me.

"Why would you let me cheat off of you? Did Kiba and Shino put you up to this?" I questioned.

"No. I just thought… that… we should… stay together… Not you and me! I meant the nine of us… you know…. since we're all a part of the Rookie 9. It only makes since right?" She stuttered.

I had a feeling that there was more than what she was telling me, but right now isn't the time to figure it out. She pushed her paper towards me and all I had to do was look over, but lost my nerve when a kunai flew right past me and hit the person's test right behind me. That was only the first process of people being dismissed. After about five to ten minutes, about thirteen teams were dismissed. One team being dismissed was enough to terrify me and stop me from cheating like I wanted to.

"Excuse me." That guy Kankuro had raised his hand. "I need to use the can."

I watched as someone got up, cuffed him, and took him off. As I watched the action between the two, I noticed that there was something wrong with the guy taking him. He didn't look as real as the others. I don't exactly know what that Kankuro guy can do, but it had to be in connection with that strange supervisor guy. With the terrible feeling of getting caught spiking every time I hear another number being called out, I decided that my nobility was right in the first place.

"Hinata. Thank you for the offer, but… I can't. Cheating just isn't my ninja way. I'll be fine. After all, I'm an A-Class Ninja. I don't need to cheat to pass. I'm going to do it on my own." I smiled.

"You sure Naruto? I mean… You still haven't written a single answer. I have all of them. You can just look at mine if you want." She offered again.

"No Hinata. This is something I have to do… alone. Thanks thought. And besides, if I get caught, I don't want you to get in trouble too." I smiled.

Her blush darkened at my words. _"Typical."_

"_**I think you need your head examined, Kit."**_ Kyuubi groaned with his paw on his face.

"_Yeah well, after this we can have a nice long talk as too why I'm so fucked up."_

"_**I better not be one of the reasons."**_

"_Of course not… I mean, everyone has a demon for a foster parent. Perfectly natural."_

"_**Don't get smart boy. I can drag you in here and warm that fox bottom of your like I used to."**_

"_I'm sooooo scared."_ I laughed.

"_**You will be. Now finish your test. And PLEASE answer another question other than #10."**_ Kyuubi groaned as he cut the connection.

My eyes focused on all nine of my unanswered questions. I scanned each one about a thousand times over before finally coming to one conclusion… _"I'M SO SCREWED!"_

"_**Alright maggots, listen up! There are only 15 minutes left in this exam. That means that you have 15 minutes to figure out exactly HOW you want to answer #10 if you have not already."**_ Ibiki said as he pocketed his hands and turned his head away from us.

"_**Alright Kit. You have 15 minutes to answer that last question. Ya sure you don't wanna rethink your answer?" **_Kyuubi asked.

"_Yeah. I am confident in my answer. That's just about the only thing that I am confident in."_

"_**But… before you answer the tenth question or think about your answer, there's one more thing I believe you should know."**_ The smirk on the old badger's face wasn't reassuring to anyone. We all turned our heads to see Kankuro and that strange man returning from the bathroom. _**"Glad to see that you've made it back in time for the last 15 minutes. I would've hated for you to be TOO enlightened by your bathroom trip to miss out on the most important question out the whole test. Please take your seat."**_ I could see the look of nervousness on Kankuro's face before he moved to sit down. I also saw that he discreetly dropped something on his sister, Temari's, desk. My gut tells me that it's nothing short of a cheat sheet. _**"Alright. Now that everyone who's left is in their seats I can explain a new rule I just added."**_

"_More rules? Just great."_ I groaned with my head in my hands.

"_**Question #10 is not like any other question on your test. It actually counts more than the other ones. With this question, you will have the option on whether or not you WANT to answer that question."**_

"Wait. So you're telling us that we can _**skip**_ the final question is we want?" Shino asked.

"_**That is correct."**_

"Sounds like a scam. So what's the catch if we decide to skip it?" Temari asked.

"_**If you choose to skip it, then your number with be recorded and you and your team will be removed from the testing location. You will be eligible to take it again next year."**_

"_That sounds too simple. There has to be more to it." _I wondered.

"_**But, like I said earlier… If you choose to stay and answer the final question and answer it incorrectly, then you will be forever banned from taking these exams again."**_

Everyone in the room gasped at this. "That's a bunch of bullshit!" Kiba shouted as he stood up. "There are people here who have missed that question and returned to retake these exams!"

"_**They didn't have me making the rules before."**_ Ibiki smirk widen as he turned away from us again.

"_**How could they let a saddest like him give these exams?"**_ Kyuubi questioned.

"_Yeah. He even makes you look like a kit compared to the mind games he likes to play."_

"_**I do have to admit that he lives up to his reputation quite nicely. I never thought I'd actually get to see a few of his tactics first hand."**_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_**Ibiki Morino is more than an old badger with scars on his face. He's a specialist in torched interrogation. But, he isn't the one to use physical tactics often. His tactics revolve around messing with people's minds more than their bodies. Anyone can be physically torched and survive. There are even some people in the world that can't be torched because they have a rare disease that causes them to NOT feel pain. But, if you attack the mind, then even the strongest of men will fall. He is one of the most dangerous men you'll ever meet."**_ Kyuubi explained.

"_**Alright. Now… Who wants to skip the 10**__**th**__** question? Raise your hand. Your number will be recorded so that you and your teammates can be out that door and on your way." **_I looked around to see more than half the class raise their hand before exiting the room. I sat there and watched as they exited the room. It was scary and made me rethink my decision. In order for me to become Hokage… I needed to make this decision.

"_It's not or never."_

There were a collective gasps as I raised my hand. Most of those gasps turned to snickers and harsh whispers. The three gasps from Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata turned into worried thoughts. I could feel them. But, they didn't need to be worried. I knew what I was doing.

I smirked as I slammed my hand down onto the table. "I will be Hokage someday, so don't you _**dare**_ underestimate me. Because one day… _**You'll have to answer to me**_."

As my blue eyes stared into Ibiki's, I could've sworn I saw a slight look of shock and amazement cross his face before returning to its usual smirking expression.

"_**This decision is the one that will determine the rest of your ninja career. This is your last chance to chicken out… Are you sure you don't wanna take it?"**_

"Are you really that deaf? Or are you just that stupid? I just said that I am going to become Hokage someday and I'm going to be the best there is. So, I am willing to do _**WHATEVER**_ it takes to make my dream come true. I don't even care if I remain a genin forever. I _**WILL **_become Hokage one way or another. And in order to do that… I _**CAN'T**_ back down! I _**REFUSE**_ to back down!" My smirk only widen as I sat back down.

My nerve was unwavering and I could tell that Ibiki knew this. His eyes swiftly moved around the room before finally settling back on me. The muscles in his mouth stretched wide when Ibiki leaned back and let out a hardy terrifying laugh. It was… awkward and upsetting, but no one wanted to say anything until he was down.

"_**In all my years… I've never met a genin with such moxie and nerve to actually insult me, of all people."**_ The old badger continued to laugh. What scared us was the fact that there was a tear leaking out the side of his eye. We watched as he whipped away that lone tear before recomposing himself. _**"There are about 1, 2, 3, 4… 78 of you left. That's more than I expected to be honest. So… I guess there's only one thing left to do." **_Ibiki sighed before his eyes looked at all of us with trained eyes. _**"Congratulations all of you. You've all passed this portion of the exam."**_

"**WHAT?"** Everyone, including Kyuubi and I, yelled.

"_**This part of the exam wasn't just about testing your knowledge. It was also about how well you could gather information without getting caught. A very important skill ALL Shinobi need to know for when they are sent on information gathering or retrieval missions."**_

"_Humph looks like you and Sasuke were right."_

"_**Told ya."**_

"_Damn. I'm sorry. Looks like I'm going to have to do some apologizing to Sasuke later."_

"_**Can you at least WAIT until the exams are over."**_

"_Choosing to ignore you and your perverted thoughts."_ I said before turning to listen to Ibiki again.

"_**The people that were escorted out because they were caught at least five times would've been dead had this been a real mission. The people who decided that they wanted to skip the last question are the people that do not believe in their ability as a ninja. The people that fell into either one of these categories are the people who weren't ready to become chunin and didn't deserve to be here at the moment. So congratulations to those of you who remain. You deserve to be here because you believe in yourself and your abilities as Shinobi. I wish you good luck on the rest of your exam. Just remember…"**_ He continued to smirk before touching his right ear and undoing his headband, showing us the horrific scars on top of his head. _**"Any information you have or any reason you fight for… Make sure that it's worth losing your life over. There are no guarantees that every one of you will be placed in a situation like that, but if you are…" **_He puts his headband back on. _**"I just hope that it's worth your life."**_

A sense of accomplishment filled me up with joy before a giant black ball crashed through the window. A woman with purple hair and a brown snake tail appeared after she used some kunais to hand a black banner. _**"My name is Anko Mitarashi and I will be your next prompter. This not the time to be celebrating… because now comes the most dangerous part of the exam. NOW COME WITH ME SO THAT WE CAN GET ON WITH THE EXAM!"**_ She cheered with a fist in the air.

The room was awkward and silent. _**"She's just as energetic and gives the same amount of headaches as you, Kit."**_

"_Shut it Fuzz Ball."_

"_**You're early, Anko. I didn't call for you yet. You were supposed to wait for my signal. You're too impatient."**_ Ibiki sighed.

"Damn Ibiki. You let _**THIS**_ many pass? Hn. Either your test was _**way **_too easy or else you're just getting softer in your old age." The woman sighed with her arms crossed over her chest.

"_**There are more courageous and brave genin this year. You'll have some difficulty with this bunch."**_

"Doesn't matter. By time I'm finished with them, more than half of these genin will be gone anyway." She sighed while examining her nails in a bored manner. "Alright you guys. It's time for the next portion." And with her hand on her hips, Anko led us out the room.

"Hey Naruto." Sasuke said as he placed a hand on my shoulder.

I turned around to face him with a sigh and my head down. "I'm sorry Sasuke… about earlier. I didn't mean to snap at you for encouraging me to cheat."

"It's alright, but I have to know… What did you put for the #10 question?"

"Everything I said out loud in there was the jest of it."

"So you risked our chances at proceeding and your chance to _**EVER **_ retake this exam because you wanted to become Hokage?" He yelled.

"Pretty much." I shrugged.

"And what things didn't turn out like they did? What then?"

"That's a risk I was willing to take." I shrugged again.

I could tell that he wanted to yell at me again, but instead he just sighed and pocketed his hands. "You're an idiot that doesn't think before doing anything and takes risks without worrying about the consequences." He looked around before leaning in to kiss my lips for a few seconds. "But you keep me on my toes and I love you for it. You're going to be a true ninja and an even better Hokage one day." He smiled before turning and walking away.

"_And I hope that you'll be at my side when I do."_

With a smile on my face, I pocketed my hands before following Sasuke and the others.

"_**Good job, Kit. I knew you could do it all along."**_

…

…

…

We stood in front of a forest that was blocked off by a fence.

"This is where the second portion of the test will take place. This forest is known as the 44th Training Ground. But, most of you might know it by its most famous name… The Forest of Death."

"The… Forest of Death?" I stuttered.

"_This does NOT sound fun."_

"_**Fun? This sounds suicidal. I don't think you should do this Kit."**_

"_I have to. I can't back down now. I just confessed in front of everyone my ninja way. I can't go back on it. Not now… Not ever…"_


	12. Surviving the Forest of Death

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Cussing. Fluffy yaoi. Violence. The usual.

**Author Note: **From here on out, I will start making previews for any upcoming story I have (this does not include one-shots because I see no reason to do so). I will also start treating each chapter as if it is an episode. So at the end of each chapter I start to put a mini-summary for the next chapter.

**Author Note #2: **I would like to give the biggest shout out to a new and anonymous fan: _**Girl Supernsonicboy**_. She's special because she's usually one of the readers that like to read completed stories, but decided that my story is so good to go ahead and read it anyway. I'm glad that she reviewed. It absolutely made my day. So I've decided to dedicate this chapter to her in hopes of getting more awesome reviews like this one. I also hope that you make a Fanfiction account so that we could possibly private chat or so that maybe I could read and review some of your work, if you're a writer. I understand if you don't want that, so I'll be satisfied with your reviews.

**NO MORE HESITATION… ON WITH THE SHOW! ^^:3**

**Chapter 11: Surviving the Forest of Death**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"That's the Forest of Death…? I'm not so sure I want to go through with the rest of the test." Sakura said as her body quaked in her sandals.

"What's the matter, Billboard Bunny? Is it too scary for you? Haha. Told ya that you're too much of a scary baby to EVER be Sasuke-kun's wife. He needs someone strong, fearless and dedicated as him. _**NOT**_ some loser who's afraid of her own shadow." Ino laughed behind her hand.

"_That position has already been filled. Sorry ladies." _Naruto laughed.

"I'm **NOT **a scared baby! I will prove to you and Sasuke-kun that I'm just as brave, dedicated, and strong as he is!" Sakura cheered.

"Is that so…? Then why are your knees still shaking?" Ino smirked.

Sakura looked down and saw that Ino was right. She used her hands to still her wobbling knees before turning to smile to her rival. But, when she released her knees, they were still shaking. "They're only shaking in excitement at how fast Sasuke-kun, Naruto, and I are going to pass this exam! I'm so excited that I refuse to stop shaking!" She cheered with a forced smile on her face.

Ino's smirk only increased as she slowly shook her head and place her hands on her hips. "Well I wish you luck during this part… You're going to need it…" Ino sung.

"You're the one that's going to need luck when our team beats yours to a pulp." Sakura smirked.

"You beat us? Please. We could win this thing in our sleep if we wanted to." Ino laughed.

"How could you when you have the laziest and the fattest boys on the planet? And then there's you. You're so obsessed with how skinny you are and your bleached hair to really care about these exams. Face it Ino, your team is a sorry one." Sakura mocked before flicking Ino's curly tail.

Ino yelped and rubbed her tail while glaring at Sakura. _**"You're going to pay for that…"**_

"_**Bring it on…"**_ Sakura glared back.

Naruto and Sasuke watched the display between the two girls with disgust and annoyance.

"Will those two ever grow up?" Sasuke sighed with his hands in his pockets.

"They're only fighting to see who you would choose in the end. It's their competition and how they challenge each other. You just so happen to be the prize they're challenging each other for." Naruto secretly chuckled at his lover's predicament.

"Why can they just leave me alone and find someone else to fight for?" Sasuke sighed again.

"Why don't you tell them to just leave you the fuck alone? Or could just tell them about us…" Naruto teased, knowing that the latter was not an option.

"Ok, first of all, you know that we can't do that second one. It's reckless, stupid and the outcome would not be a good one… especially for you. And secondly, don't you think I tried that already? I actually lost count of how many times I told all my suitors to get lost, but they kept coming back. If I don't say anything and ignore them, they actually try harder for me to notice them, so either way it's a lose-lose situation." Sasuke answered.

"It must be nice… being the center of attention for a positive reason. I don't think that'll ever happen to me." Naruto sighed with his head down.

Sasuke saw this and moved to step closer and whisper in his ear. "If it makes you feel any better… you're the positive center of my attention."

Naruto's eyes widen a little at this. "Really?" He asked as he watched Sasuke pull away from him. Sasuke nodded with a small smile tugging at his lips. "Thanks baby." Naruto smiled back.

Sasuke was about to comment on the baby name, but seeing Naruto happy made Sasuke bit his tongue. That's when Sasuke looked down and saw a square box heading towards them. "Don't look now, but I think we have company."

"Huh?" One of Naruto's golden eyebrows rose with his question.

He turned around and saw a square rock like thing behind him. He knew it was a trap, so he moved away from it, but it followed him. Where ever Naruto moved, it followed him. When he stopped moving, Naruto turned towards the box with a glare.

"Alright, Konohamaru. Come on out. I know it's you." Naruto said in annoyance.

"How did you know?" The boy said from inside the horrible disguised rock.

"Because one: rocks don't move. Two: there is no such thing as a square rock. Three: that's the worst rock disguise I ever seen and since you're the king of bad disguises… I knew it had to have been you. And let me guess, Udon and Moegi are under there too?" Naruto asked with his arms folded.

Everyone watched as the trio popped out of their disguise. "How did you know we where there too?" Moegi asked.

"Lucky guess." Naruto sighed.

"Friends of yours?" Sasuke asked as he moved to stand by Naruto.

"Not really. They're just some preschoolers who think I'm their boss and want to learn from me." Naruto answered with a sigh of annoyance.

Sasuke nodded before turning his attention to the three kids. "Wait. Aren't you related to the Third Hokage?" Sasuke asked.

"Yep! That's my granddad!" The small monkey exclaimed.

"Interesting…" Sasuke nodded in approval at the information he obtained.

"What do you three want anyway? I'm about to take the second portion of my Chunin Exam and you're interrupting it. Don't have time for games, so why don't you just run along and go play in the sandbox or something." Naruto dismissed with a wave of his hand.

"We here on official business, **NOT **for games!" Konohamaru yelled.

"Yeah. We were given an assignment to write an article about the Chunin Exams." Moegi smiled with her blushing cheeks.

"And we want you to be the one we interview, boss." Udon sniffled.

"So you three came all the way out her and interrupted my exam to do an interview on me?" Naruto asked, causing the three preschoolers to nod. "Yeah… sorry, but not right now kids."

"Aww but why?" The trio whined.

"Hey!" Anko yelled before walking over to Naruto and the mini group. "You're holding up the exam for what reason?"

"Sorry, but these guys came here to interview me about the exams." Naruto explained.

"Interview…?" Anko voice trailed off in thought. A second later, she snapped her fingers in remembrance. "Oh yeah. Lord Hokage did mention something about interviewers coming here. I almost forgot." She nervously laughed before turning to the crowd of genin. "Alright everyone! We're going to take a ten minute break so that each and every one of you will be interviewed! Please be respectful and remember… everything you say will be recorded!" Anko warned.

"Wait a minute. So I'm not the only one being interviewed?" Naruto asked.

"No, but you're the most important one we're doing." Moegi smiled.

"Alright fine, I'll let you interview me and it'll be great." Naruto grinned.

…

…

…

The interviews didn't really last long, but they did learn a few things. For instance, Naruto learned that Moegi looks up to Sakura quite a lot… to most people's surprise. And that Sasuke won't even really speak on camera. Sasuke actually wanted to vomit when he heard how Sakura bragged about him in her interview. He finally stopped shivering after a few minutes.

"Thanks for the interview everyone." Udon smiled before sniffing.

"Yeah. You guys are all so cool. I can't wait to see you guys fight in the final round of the exams." Moegi cheered.

"Good luck to you boss. We know that you'll knock them dead!" Konohamaru cheered excitedly.

"Thanks guys and don't worry, we'll make it out of here alive so that you'll see us win in the final round, believe it!" Naruto grinned with his thumbs-up sign.

Everyone waved goodbye as they watched the trio leave the testing grounds.

"Do you really think they believe in us?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know, but all that matters is if we believe in ourselves. We have to remember what Kakashi told us. He said that as long as we use teamwork, then we'll fine. I actually believe in that philosophy." Sasuke smirked.

"Yeah! If we stick together and watch the other's back, then we'll moving onto the next round before you know it!" Naruto cheered.

"Alright guys! The break is over so now it's time to continue with your next mission. The next step is entering the Forest of Death. Now I know what most of you are thinking… you're scared… That's ok… You should be. They call it the Forest of Death for a reason… and you're about to find out why." Anko smirked.

"Bring it on! I'm not afraid of anything!" Naruto declared.

"Oh? I see we have a tough guy among us. Well, we'll just see how tough you really are after this." Without warning, Anko threw a kunai and managed to nick Naruto's left cheek and a strand of another ninja's long hair before appearing behind Naruto. _**"I just hope you're this brave when you're faced with many life or death situations."**_ The snake woman smirked against one of Naruto's orange and white fox ears.

Right when she was about to whip the blood off, Anko pulled out another kunai and pointed it at another ninja. _**"Relax… I was only returning this too you."**_ The genin hissed.

"Why thank you, Grass genin." Anko smiled, but everyone watching could tell that it was faked.

The voice belonging to the genin sent the wrong shivers down Naruto's spine as the two ninja stared each other down.

"Ya know… I only advise that you stand this close to me… if you feel like dying today." Anko smiled harder.

"I meant no harm…" The odd snake woman hissed before giving back the kunai. "And don't you worry… I have no desire to lose my life during these exams." Was the last thing she said before returning to her teammates.

"I would hope not." Anko countered before moving to stand in front of the gates and retrieving some papers. "Here." She said as she passed them out.

"What are these?" Kiba asked with suspicion in his voice.

"These are consent forms you must read over, sign, and return to me before your team goes into the forest."

"What are they for?" Tenten nervously asked.

"Yeah? What are we consenting to?" Shikamaru questioned with his eyes glued to the paper.

"These forms are for you to consent to the fact that you're ok with –if it just so happens- dying while you're in the forest. If you don't sign these and you end up dying… well that'll be on my head." She returned to the front of the group after the papers were all passed out. "And we don't want that, now do we?" She laughed.

That laugh did its job of running terrifying shivers down almost each genin's spine. But, none the less, each of them signed the consent form and turned them in.

"That all of them?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Now, pay close attention. I'm going to tell you about what to expect in this forest and what your job is while in there." Anko reached for her belt and pulled out a Map Scroll. "The Forest of Death is surrounded by 44 exits with a forest, rivers, and a locked tower in the center of the whole thing. The tower is about 10 kilometers from each gate. Each of you will start at a different exit. That exit is where you will enter the forest through, but you can't exit out of there, or any other exit, again." Anko explained.

"So, how do we get out of there?" Temari asked.

"You have to make it to the tower."

"And that's it?" Kankuro asked.

"Yep, but it's not as simple as you think. You'll each have five days to complete the tasks at hand."

"**FIVE DAYS?"** Every genin yelled.

"How are we supposed to eat?" Choji whined.

"Just look around. Part of this test is about survival. If you can survive five days in here, you've already completed half of the test. The other half is what's going to be able to get you out of here."

"And that would be…?" Neji urged.

Anko smirked as she reached for her belt again and pulled out two scrolls. "In my hand are the two scrolls that you must have to complete this exam. One scroll is a Heaven Scroll while the other is an Earth Scroll. Since there are 26 teams, half of you will start off with a Heaven Scroll while the other half will start off with an Earth Scroll. Your job is to not only survive, but to also reach the tower with both scrolls in your hand. If you don't… then you'll fail."

There was a collective amount of gasps from the crowd.

"And how are we to collect them?" Lee asked.

"You fight for them. This is why you all signed those forms. In this part of the test… you're allowed to kill for what you want. That doesn't include just the scrolls people… It also counts for surviving… Which also means that more than half of you won't survive this portion of the exam… more than likely."

"This is horrible." Hinata lowly said.

"_**This is exciting."**_ Gaara smirked evilly.

"So you expect us to actually kill one of our friends to obtain what we need?" Shino asked.

"Yes." More gasps. "I'm sorry, but this is how we prepare you for real life. When you're out there on a mission, you'll be faced with tough decisions like this. You may not have to all the time, but there **WILL** a time where you have to deal with stuff like this… This is our way of preparing you for the future. It's kill or be killed folks. Welcome to the world of ninja's outside your cozy little village." More gasps. "Now, here comes the part that makes it like a test. The following are the disqualifications to this test. The first one is if your team does not make it to the tower within the time limit with **BOTH **scrolls. Two: If you lose a team member or if a team member is unable to continue. Three: If you try to peek inside the scroll before the test is over."

"Now… what if it accidentally pops open?" Naruto asked.

"Let me put it to you this way." Anko smirked before speeding to stand in front of Naruto and leaning into his ear. _**"You don't wanna know what's inside."**_ Was all she said before returning to the front, leaving Naruto shaking in his sandals.

"_**She's terrifyingly beautiful."**_ Kyuubi said.

"_Ewww I don't wanna hear that."_ Naruto scolded.

"_**And I don't wanna see or hear you and Sasuke fucking like rabbits almost every night, but I have to. So suck it up."**_

"_You could've just tuned us out, ya know."_

"_**Yeah… It's kind of hard when THE HOST YOU'RE LIVING IN IS THE ONE MAKING THE NOISE!"**_

"_Yeah whatever… Ya damn perverted fox demon."_

"_**That's it! I'm firing that bottom after these exams!"**_

"_And this is where I cut you off."_

"Ok, that's enough talking. Go over to the registration table and collect your team's scroll as well as a supply bag. When you're done, you and your teams will pick a gate to start at and there you will wait for my signal before entering the forest. But…" She turned towards the sun and noticed that it was starting to set before turning back to the group of genin. "since it's getting late, you guys will have the rest of tonight to catch up on what little sleep you can. The test will official start tomorrow at midnight. Goody luck!" The teams nodded before doing as they were told and collected what they needed before moving towards their gates. They were stopped by Anko's voice. "Oh and one more piece of advice… **DON'T DIE!**"

Everyone glared at each other before moving to stand in front of their gates. They waited patiently for Anko's signal. Some were eager to get this test started while others focused on **NOT **dying. Either way, everyone knew that most of them won't be coming out alive… and they all hoped that it wasn't them among the count of the dead.

"**ON YOUR MARKS! GET SET! … … GO!"** Anko yelled, allowing the gates to open up. When they were fully opened each genin rushed into the forest with determination on their minds.

…

…

…

**Day 3 in the Forest of Death**

"**WILL YOU TWO PLEASE… SHUT UP!"** Sasuke huffed and growled at his two teammates.

Sasuke was made the team leader for this portion of the exam and the pressure is finally getting to him. From the moment they entered the Forest of Death, they had to take on three teams. They defeated them, but they had less time to set up camp and their supplies. By day two, they were faced with a total of seven teams and defeated each one. But, they all had the same Heaven Scroll that they did. It was frustrating. And, on top of that, what made it even worse was Naruto and Sakura fighting constantly. It was mostly Sakura trying to correct Naruto and Naruto fighting back. It was really annoying. But when she was too busy trying to get some 'alone time' with him was what really made it unbearable for Sasuke. It was no secret between the couple that they were trying to get their alone time –despite knowing that they had a job to do- but just one time was all they ask for… Sakura kept getting in the way of that. She would send Naruto away so that she could have him to herself, but Sasuke would either go with Naruto –she would tag along then too- or he would just ignore her by lying and saying that he was working on mapping out their next move. All of this wrapped into one made Sasuke want to pull his hair out and commit suicide.

"Sasuke-kun? Are you ok?" Sakura tried to touch him, but Sasuke just snatched away from her.

"No. I can't take you two arguing all the damn time. It's driving me crazy."

"Maybe you need to just breathe and calm down, Sasuke-kun. Or better yet, you should take a nap. After you've had a nap, then you'll be ok." She smiled.

"Yeah Sasuke. Maybe you do need a nap." Naruto agreed.

"_What I need is to get Sakura to leave."_

"Sakura. We're running low on food. Can you go bring back some berries for us?"

"By myself? Why can't Naruto do it?" She asked.

"I need him here to go over some things with him. Plus, if I send Naruto, he'll probably bring back poisonous berries." Sasuke explained.

"Yeah, you're right. But, what if I don't come back?" She questioned.

"_That would be great."_ Sasuke thought, but actually said: "Then Naruto and I will come looking for you after ten minutes."

"Ok." She nervously nodded before leaving.

Once she was out of their sights, Sasuke grabbed Naruto by the collar and kissed him passionately. They're tongues battled and they showed each other just how badly they've been wanted to do this since this stupid test started. Sasuke was the one who pulled away before whipping away a string of saliva between them.

"Missed me much?" Naruto teased.

"You just don't know." Sasuke said before moving to sit against the back wall of the cave they were in. "She's been driving me crazy. I can take the enemies, the constant attacks, the barely sleepless nights, the pressure of being the leader, but I can't take another day of Sakura." He groaned as he slumped against the cave's wall.

"I know. I could sense how tense you were and have been trying to relieve you, but she kept getting in the way of that." Naruto explained.

"I know…"

"But…" Naruto moved to sit in between Sasuke's legs with a smirk. "we're alone now… And I think that you are in need of a special treat."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Sasuke teased back with a smirk of his own.

Naruto chuckled before leaning in and kissing Sasuke again. Pale arms moved to wrap around Naruto's neck while one of Naruto's hands gripped Sasuke's hip and the other was lifting his shirt. They kissed for a little bit until Naruto started moving south to suck and play with Sasuke's nipples. The raven's toes and tail began to curl. He knew his moans were getting louder, so he used his fist to bit on. Naruto knew that he couldn't do this forever, so he used his hands to pull Sasuke's shorts down just enough to release the starved member. Sasuke let out a gasp when he felt Naruto's warm, wet mouth and tongue on him. The blond sucked, licked, and stroked the appendage with his mouth, making Sasuke submit to him. Sasuke couldn't help the moans escaping his mouth at the feel of being sucked up by his beloved Naruto. Sasuke's clawed hands reached into Naruto's blond locks and tugged hard. Sasuke knew that he was acting like a virgin, but he didn't care. He was on the verge of coming and didn't give a damn about anything. With one final long stoke from Naruto, Sasuke threw his head back and cried out as his seed was spilled into Naruto's mouth. The blond, literally, sucked Sasuke dry before pulling up his panting raven's shorts.

"I can't believe you swallowed that." Sasuke panted with a smirk.

"Didn't want Sakura coming back and asking why there was white stuff on your clothes." Naruto answered.

Both chuckled before Sasuke pulled Naruto into a small, but gentle kiss. "Thank you for that… I **REALLY **needed that."

"I know you did."

"But, what about you? Don't you want me to~"

"No need. I can control myself and keep it down until the time is right for us to do the full thing again. Plus, Sakura is coming back."

And right on cue, the pink haired bunny came bouncing back with berries galore in her arms. "Hey Sasuke-kun, Naruto. I found some berries like you told me to." Sakura cheered when she returned.

"Thank you Sakura." Sasuke nodded before taking the berries.

"Yeah, thanks Sakura-chan." Naruto smiled.

"So did you enjoy your nap, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah. You were right. It was just what I needed." Sasuke smirked, more towards Naruto.

"That's good. Didn't want you snapping on us for lack of sleep." She nodded.

…

…

…

Later that night, Sakura was sound asleep while Naruto and Sasuke were still up.

"Ya know… When I looked into the bag I noticed that we had tons of food left… care to explain?" Naruto smirked.

"The berries were only an diversion to lure Sakura away, so that you and me could spend some alone time together." Sasuke simply answered.

"So you planed everything out from Sakura leaving to me giving you a blow job?"

"Pretty much." Sasuke smirked.

Naruto was the one that leaned in and kissed Sasuke again. "You are, without a doubt, the ultimate tease." A tan hand came around to hug Sasuke to his chest and body.

"But you love me though."

"Yeah… You're right." Naruto smiled one last time before both boys drifted off to sleep.

…

…

…

**Day 4 in the Forest of Death**

"Damnit."

"What's the matter Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Today marks the fourth day since we've been in this forest and we still have yet to find another team with an Earth Scroll."

"So that means that if we don't find one by midnight tomorrow, then we won't be able to move onto the next round. Quite the dilemma." Sakura sighed.

"How many teams did Anko say there were?" Naruto asked.

"26. Why?" Sasuke asked.

"That means that 13 teams, including us, all have Heaven Scrolls, right? But we've managed to defeat about nine of those teams, leaving around three teams with the Heaven Scroll and no more than 13 teams with the Earth Scroll, right?" Naruto did the math.

"So what? What does that have to do with anything?" Sakura asked.

"It means that the next team we met will have 99.9% chance of having the Earth Scroll. That also means that the next team maybe the last team we'll have to face before we can get the hell out of here." Naruto concluded, causing Sakura's jaw to drop.

"That's the smartest thing you've said since we've walked into this forest." Sakura smirked.

"Good math solving skills, Naruto." Sasuke smiled. "Ok. So now that we know that, all we have to do is lure one of the other teams into a trap and take their scroll."

"But, we don't know where there other teams are." Naruto added.

"That's why we set up traps around the forest and wait for someone stupid enough to fall for them." Sasuke sighed.

"Or… we could just ambush them and take their scroll that way." Naruto suggest.

"And risk getting ourselves killed? Yeah great plan." Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes.

"Well it's better than waiting around for someone to fall into our trap." Naruto argued back.

"Um guys…? I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but does anyone feel or hear that."

The two boys stayed quiet and slowly rose up when they felt the ground shake.

"What in the~"

Naruto didn't get a chance to finish before a strong wind rushed at them. Sasuke and Sakura managed to get out of the way, but Naruto wasn't so lucky and managed to get blown back and away from his team.

"Sasuke-kun? Sasuke-kun where are you?" Sakura called out.

"I'm right here, Sakura." Sasuke grunted as he got up. "Where's Naruto?"

"Hey guys… Man I'm glad you guys are ok. That was some powerful wind, huh?" Naruto laughed it off.

Sasuke stared at this Naruto for a while before pulling out his kunai and throwing it at Naruto.

"Sasuke-kun? What did you do that for?" Sakura asked.

"_**That's not Naruto."**_ Sasuke glared.

"What do you mean. I am Naruto. I don't understand your problem with me Sasuke." 'Naruto' hissed.

"I've been around Naruto long enough to know his scent is. His is sweet while yours is nasty and sinister." Sasuke's glare harden.

The Naruto started to laugh hysterically before he morphed back into that long haired lady who Anko was glaring at earlier.

"_**How diligent of you. I can see your intelligence preserves you like your reputation. I'm glad. This wouldn't be much fun if you weren't as great as the rumors say you are."**_ That Grass lady hissed as her long tongue moved to lick her thin lips.

"Wait a minute… If you're not Naruto… Then where is he…?" Sakura asked with concern in her voice."

...

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on 'Let's Only Try It Just Once':**

The gang is reunited with Naruto, but what happens when each of them are put to the test?


	13. Surviving the Forest of Death Pt 2

**Warnings for This Chapter: **The normal shit… You know the deal.

**Chapter 12: Surviving the Forest of Death Pt. 2**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"_Where's Naruto?"_ Is the question on Sakura and my mind.

The wind was powerful enough to separate all of us. I was able to save Sakura- because I thought that Naruto was able to get out of the way in time- but when the dust cleared we were left with the strange lady from Grass. Everything from the tip of her head to the end of her tail gave off a menacing vibe. I felt every hair on the back of my neck and tail stand up. I looked over at Sakura and she seemed more terrified than me.

I had an advantage with my Sharingan, but Sakura is a problem. If I had Naruto, then I wouldn't worry too much. But with Sakura on my team… we're going to have a problem.

But Sakura and I were on standby when she moved her left arm and pulled something from behind her back.

"You have an Earth Scroll?" Sakura gasped.

"_**Yes. And I assume you would want this. It would look so beautifully next to your Heaven Scroll, no?"**_ She smirked before wrapping her long tongue around it and shoving it into her mouth. _**"Delicious."**_ She hissed while licking her lips.

"She… she swallowed it…" Sakura said in fear with her hands over her mouth.

"_**Very good observation, little girl… But, let's see if it'll help you in your fight against me… Because by the end of this battle… the loser will be dead and the winner will walk away with both scrolls in their hands… So let's see if you'll be the winners… or the losers…"**_

Sakura and I watched as she pulled down her bottom eyelid. It seemed weird as to why she was doing that, but we soon found out what she was doing. When I stared into her eyes… I saw and experienced my death.

I saw kunai fly in my direction and actually felt them hit me in vital areas. I felt them pierce me in my arms, legs and even my chest. It was the worst feeling to feel.

"_Who is this woman?" _Was the only question in my mind.

Who was she and what ability did she have that caused me to become frozen with fear. I could barely see my enemy or Sakura. My mind was still stuck on that image from before. For the first time since I started dating him, I wish I had Naruto to hide behind for safety.

I fell to my knees and gripped the grass below me. My body refused to do anything I told it to do. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak… I couldn't even breathe. It felt like I was already dead. I looked over to Sakura and saw that she had it worse than me. She looked like she was about to die right where she sat. I could tell from her gaze that she was too far gone. This… isn't good…

I had to move. If I didn't, then we're as good as dead. Naruto's not here to help me either. That means that it's up to me to save us. If I don't move now… then the images of our deaths will become a reality.

"_Move."_ I mentally scolded myself. _"MOVE DAMNIT!"_

That's when I noticed my right arm moving. It was shaky, but it was moving none the less. Reached for my pouch and grabbed one of my kunai before tying to stand up. My plan was to create a distraction long enough for us to escape, but judging from the way I could barely stand… I had to change it.

I guess she might've known what I was going to do. She started to walk towards us with her never ending smirk while reaching for three of her own kunai. _**"I'm impressed. Usually people don't move after my Fear Paralyzing Jutsu. Most end up like that bunny girl over there. But, I expected nothing less from the famous Sasuke Uchiha. Now stay still. I'll make it quick… But you already know that." **_She gave a wicked crackle. I gripped my kunai tightly in my grasp. She stopped a few feet away from me before raising her kunai._** "What a shame… I actually expect more from you other than the ability to stand. But, than again… you are just a child…"**_ She threw her kunai and that's when I struck.

…

…

…

"Sasuke-kun? Will you be alright?" Sakura asked me with her bunny ears lowered.

I didn't answer her. I was too busy taking deep breaths. When the Grass woman flicked her wrist and launched her kunai at me, I stabbed my leg with my kunai. It hurt like hell, but it was the motivation I needed to get going. I felt my Sharingan activate as I grabbed Sakura and sped away. I couldn't get far with the kunai still stuck in my leg. I found a nice, thick tree to lean against and keep us safe.

Right now, I was ignoring Sakura's useless questions in favor of trying to pull out my kunai. I stabbed myself deeply in order to make me move, but it was worth it. I hissed in pain as I pulled it out before throwing it besides me with shallow and deep breaths.

"Sasuke-kun? You're wound is~" I used my hand to cover her mouth.

The more she kept talking the quicker that Grass woman will find us. That's the last thing we need. If she hits s with that jutsu again… it really will be the end of us. We have to get away from her. We need to escape and keep our distance from her as long as possible. Her Earth Scroll is not worth our lives. There will be others. I'm not usually one for a quick and easy fix, but if it meant staying alive one more day… then it's the only way out.

"Sakura… whatever happens… we must get away…" I stated.

I felt her nod before she started shaking wildly. "Sasuke-kun! Watch out!" She screamed.

I turned to my left and saw a giant snake there. We managed to jump out of the way, but the beats chased after me. When it got close to me, I started getting scared again. I saw the look of that woman in the eyes of the snake. It terrified me to my core.

"**GET AWAY FROM ME!"** I screamed as I threw my weapons into its face.

I managed to kill it before landing safely onto another branch. I took shallow breaths as I stared at the lifeless snake, but my victory was short lived. The thing only laid lifeless for a few minutes before something emerged from under its skin… something that suddenly became my worst nightmare…

"_**I can sense your delicious fear… It makes me hungry… Do not worry my child… your fear is only natural… in the presence of your predator…"**_ She hissed before her lower half turned into a snake's and she climbed towards me.

Her body wrapped around the tree before heading towards me with her mouth wide and her fangs barring. That's when a few kunai blocked her path.

"_**Sorry, but he's not on the menu tonight."**_ A deep voice spoke.

I turned my head and smiled in happiness when I saw Naruto standing above us with his arms crossed in triumph.

"Naruto?" Sakura and I shouted together.

"Sorry I'm so late, but I had to deal with a snake that tried to make me its dinner." He smiled at me as he jumped to my branch.

I wanted to hug him close and never let go. With Naruto around, all my fears tend to fade away, but now isn't the time. So, I'll just settle on a smile. "Better late than never."

"_**Awe. Isn't this cute? The idiot of the group came to rescue his already dead friends, but all I see is another meal for me to devour." **_The snake lady of the Grass spoke.

"Listen here long, ugly and creepy. I don't appreciate you trying to make dinner out of me or my friends. Now get lost before I turn you into a new pair of sandals for me."

"**Naruto, you idiot! Are you trying to get us all killed?"** Sakura yelled from below us.

"No! I'm warning this snake not to fuck with us!" Naruto shouted back.

"_**You three are truly irritating, but at least you were the feistiest prey I've ever eaten. It was actually a great chase. Too bad it had to end."**_ She hissed.

"_**The only thing ending is your life."**_ Naruto growled out while as he readied himself for a fight.

With Naruto here, my fears started going away but I had to think rationally on this. She is too much for us to handle. Naruto and I will no doubt go down with a fight, but Sakura is as good as dead without us protecting her. She was built to be more of a thinker than a fighter. With her skills, she wouldn't last a second with this woman. Her Earth Scroll is not worth our lives. I know that what I'm about to do will not let us continue further, but it's better than dying by this woman's hands.

With a heavy sigh I reached into my pocket and reviled our Heaven Scroll. "You want it so bad? … … Take it…" I said with my head lowered.

"**DON'T DO IT, SASUKE-KUN!"** Sakura screamed.

"Sasuke, are you nuts? How could you just hand our scroll over to the enemy? If you do that, then we won't be able to continue. We'll lose this. Think about what you're doing?" Naruto lectured with his hand on my wrist.

"**FOR ONCE, NARUTO IS RIGHT! PLEASE LISTEN TO HIM, SASUKE-KUN!"**

"_**I am thinking about what I'm doing." **_I hissed at Naruto as I removed my wrist. "She's too strong for us to handle. Losing our lives over some scrolls would be foolish. If we lose our lives in this fight, then what? None of us will be able to accomplish any of our goals because we'll be dead. I can't let that happen. Besides, we could possibly use the rest of this year to work on our skills and improve ourselves. That's better than dying in my eyes." I stated.

Naruto could only look into my eyes. He could see that I was serious about this. Knowing that I had his support, I waited for Naruto to nod before going ahead. After a few minutes, Naruto sighed with his eyes closed before nodding. I gave a nod of my own. I held up my hand and readied myself to throw it, but stopped when Naruto's hand grabbed mine and moved to whisper into my ear.

"Since when did my lover become so fearful?" I felt him smirk against my ear. My eyes snapped open at his comment. Those words struck me further than that Fear Paralyzing Jutsu did. I have never heard Naruto say anything like that to me, even before we were together. My head turned towards him in confusion. "Even when I thought low of you, I always admired you because you were fearless. You let your painful past scare you fearless and allowed you to soar higher than others could only dream of. Soar higher than I could only stare at." He released my wrist. I stared at him and saw his fist flying my way.

I had no time to duck. I grunted as he fist connected with my cheek and when I fell to the ground. I was busy holding my cheek to notice that the scroll fell out of my hand and was caught by Naruto.

"**NARUTO UZUMAKI! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" **Sakura screamed/scolded.

"After seeing how terrified you've become… I'm starting to wonder if you really are the Sasuke Uchiha I fell in love with." Those words stung harder than his fist in my face. I held my cheek with my hand while staring at Naruto's face. "The Sasuke Uchiha I love is not only fearless, but determined. He's willing to do whatever it takes to become number one. He'll come up with any strategy he could so that he wouldn't give in. He takes his opponents head on without worrying about losing, because he knows that he'll win. He'll go into battle without fearing death because he knows that he'd rather die with the satisfaction of having **NOT **backed down than living the rest of his life as a coward! Knowing all of this, I have to ask… **WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?**" He shouted with his finger pointed at me.

I let his words sink into my head and realized that he was right. I have gone soft. The object of this portion of the test is surviving, but it's also about the willingness to give up one's life in order to protect a valuable possession. I lost sight of that and it took Naruto to force me to remember.

"_**Well… This is all very touching, but… It is relevant to me. Because…" **_We all watched as she rolled up her sleeve to revile a summoning tattoo. _**"I can just simply kill all three of you and take the scroll. My original plan from the start."**_ She smirked before whipping her bloody thumb over the tattoo.

"I wanna see you try that!" Naruto yelled as she ran towards her.

"**NO NARUTO! DON'T DO IT!" **I screamed to him.

"**SUMMONING JUTSU!"** The Sound woman yelled.

Smoke started to form around her, making it impossible to see. It wasn't too long before the smoke cleared and allowed us to see her standing on top of a giant snake's head. With my Sharingan, I saw Naruto get out of the way just in time to avoid an attack from the snake's tail before sending his own weapons at it. The snake hissed in pain at the attack before using the end to smack Naruto down.

"**NARUTO!"** Sakura and I screamed as we watched him go down, shattering each branch as he fell.

I watched in fear as he finally landed on a branch with a thud. His arms and legs were hanging limp off the edge. Gravity tugged at his weight and dragged him down.

"_**Enough with playing with your food… Eat him…"**_ The Grass woman commanded.

I saw the snake go in to feast on Naruto, but something happened before it could reach him. I felt a weird pulse inside my body. I don't know where it came from, but it happened when Naruto managed to jump out of the way before unleashing a barrage of kicking, clawing, and punching onto its face.

"_I can feel a change in Naruto. It feels as if he's gotten stronger all of a sudden. I knew Naruto was strong, but this was something I've never seen before. It was strange and yet memorizing. What is going on with Naruto? How come I don't know about it?"_

While Naruto was fighting the snake, the Grass woman unleashed a fireball at him. It hit Naruto and blew him back onto a branch below them.

"_**Well now… That was defiantly interesting. It looks like I'm not dealing with just an idiot after all. Now then… Let's see how you do… SASUKE!"**_ She yelled before sending her snake after me.

Fear froze me in my place again. I couldn't move at all as I saw my opponents approaching me. It was like I could see my death all over again. But, right when I was about to become snake food, Naruto appeared out of nowhere and stopped the snake.

His breathing was long and deep, his claws were digging into its roughly scaly skin, and the look of shock was worn nicely on the Grass woman's face.

"_**What's the matter, Sasuke?" **_ His breathing was slowed more as he lifted his head to look at me. _**"Still scared?"**_ He smirked.

This was no laughing matter. The look in his eyes was dangerous. I saw traces of bloodlust in them. But, what caught me off guard was the fact that they were no longer my favorite blue. They were red, his pupils were slits, and his claws and his fangs were even more elongated. Now… I was truly terrified…

"Naruto… you~ you~ you~" I couldn't get the words out.

Before I could even try again, the long, slimly tongue wrapped around Naruto and hoisted him up to go face to face with the Grass woman. She looked at Naruto like he was some type of specimen.

"_**Very interesting… So your anger allows some of its power to leak out and control you… Your life must've been a hard one. How does it feel knowing that everyone will forever look at you in disgust because they know what exactly you are…?"**_ She said before letting the tips of her fingers glow purple and stabbing Naruto in the stomach.

I didn't know what that woman was talking about, nor did I care when I heard Naruto scream in pain. His screams continued for a few minutes before he was limp. That's when she threw him aside.

"**SASUKE! DO SOMETHING!" **Sakura screamed.

I couldn't move. I was frozen in place. The only thing I could do is watch as Sakura -the most annoying girl I've ever met- rescue my boyfriend. The boyfriend that I love and had to watch as he took a beating, gave a beating, and had to be rescued by someone other than me. I feel beyond pathetic, but I'm too scared to do anything.

"What's wrong with you Sasuke? I know that Naruto is annoying and loud and obnoxious more than half the time, but at least he's doing something! At least he's not a coward!" She yelled.

Those words penetrated me. It was bad enough I had two of my most important people call me a coward, but it hurts more when the most useless person is calling you that. Suddenly… the voice of my clan's murder- my brother- started playing in my head. Rage started to boil in my blood. And for the first time… I felt like my Sharingan had finally been awoken. The bad part about it is… Grass Woman seems like she wants to play with me now.

"_**Ha. Well, well, well… Look who finally fully awoke his power. About time. I was thinking that you would be more useful as my pet's dinner than an opponent. Now that you're at the level you need to be… It's time to play…" **_She smirked while licking her lips.

…

…

…

**To Be Continued…**

Sasuke finally stops being a coward and takes charge, but will everything work out for the better?


	14. Sasuke's Mark and Sakura's Triumph

**Warnings for This Chapter: **The usual. Sakura's better side.

**Author's Note: **Now, I'm not a Sakura basher, even though I didn't start liking her until Shippuuden came around. So, to show my support for this character, I've decided to make this into her point of view and show you guys that she's not just an annoying, helpless, weak, pathetic, and useless bitch like she started out being. Hope you enjoy.

**Chapter 13: Sasuke's Mark and Sakura's Triumph **

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

"_**Ha. Well, well, well… Look who finally fully awoke his power. About time. I was thinking that you would be more useful as my pet's dinner than an opponent. Now that you're at the level you need to be… It's time to play…" **_She smirked while licking her lips.

"_The way she licks her lips creeps me the fuck out."_ I mentally thought to myself.

In fact, everything about her just sends shivers up my spine. I mean who doesn't she creep out. I know that it sounds cowardly of me, but I hope that Sasuke can defeat her because I know that I won't be able to survive against her.

It's not that I don't have faith in my abilities as a Shinobi. I know that I I'm probably the weakest girl in our graduating class. I've seen the way Hinata fights and I know that even she is better than me. I want to be as strong as Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Ino, and the others, but I just don't think I can. I used to want to wanna marry Sasuke, I still do, but not for the right reasons. I noticed him because he was talented, good looking, and cool. But, I mostly wanted to marry him because of his strength. I figured with him on my team, I wouldn't have to be so strong. I thought that I could just get by on my intelligence. Everyone knows that I'm a smart girl. My big brain was what made up for me being so weak. I thought I could just go through life depending on Sasuke's strength and my brains, but I can now see that I was wrong. Naruto is still knocked out and Sasuke is the only one who is strong enough to defeat this lady. If he loses then it'll be up to me to protect them both. I want to be able to do that, but I don't have the strength to do so. I'm praying with all my might that he wins… Because if he doesn't… then we're in deep shit.

I looked over at Naruto. He was still unconscious and hanging from the kunai I threw to save him. I then turned my head to see that Sasuke was staring the Grass ninja lady down. He seemed… different…. The aura around him seemed to have grown stronger and more dangerous. He was standing in his fighting pose, ready to attack at any given moment. From what I could see, Sasuke had been snapped out of whatever fear he was feeling at the time and was ready to fight. I turned back to Naruto's unconscious form and thought of a plan. While Sasuke was fighting that Grass lady, I was going to try and get Naruto down. Maybe, even if Sasuke can't win against her, then maybe he can knock her out or something to where we could escape with our skins still in one piece. It was a decent plan, but from the way Sasuke was standing… I don't know is he would be willing to go along with it. So, I'll just let him be and go ahead with trying to rescue Naruto.

I was about to get Naruto down, but stopped when I heard Sasuke scream.

"**THIS IS FOR NARUTO!"**

I watched with wide eyes as Sasuke ran towards the Grass lady at top speed. They engaged in hand to hand combat, threw kunai, and even performed jutsus on each other. Sasuke performed an amazing fire jutsu technique. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. My trained eyes even had a hard time keeping up with every movement they made. It was beyond amazing. I couldn't tear my eyes away for even a moment. Even when they stopped fighting momentarily.

The suspense ran deep in my bones as I waited for their next moves. The Grass lady made the first move. She roared loudly, too loudly for my sensitive bunny ears to handle. I lowered my ears and tried to cover them with my hands as she roared and slammed her fists onto the tree branch. Sasuke jumped out of the way of the air rushing at him before finding footing above her and launching himself at her. When he was close enough, Sasuke grabbed her around her torso and sent both of them plummeting to the ground. The Grass lady screamed in pain. I could practically hear her skull cracking… except I didn't, which was odd. Sasuke jumped away from her with a curious look on his face. That's when I saw the body turn into mud.

"**WATCH OUT SASUKE! IT'S A SUBSTITUTION JUTSU!"** I yelled.

Sasuke was able to jump out of the way when a bunch of kunai came at him at once. I only saw him get cut a few times, but nothing serious. I smiled in joy as I saw Sasuke swing past and land on a branch below me safely. I jumped when I saw that the Grass lady appeared out of nowhere and started attacking Sasuke. She was able to knock him back and when he landed, he didn't get up.

"**SASUKE! ARE YOU OK?" **I asked in concern.

"_**You're such a disappointment. I thought you would be something special, being the solo survivor of the Uchiha clan and all. Why I can practically hear your ancestors weep with sorrow at how embarrassing you are to their name. They should be thanking me for killing you. I'm sure that they would love to have their only blemish whipped clean from this earth."**_ The Grass lady smirked as she made her way towards Sasuke.

"**GET UP, SASUKE!"** I screamed.

But, Sasuke refused to get up. He stayed down. I started to think that it was over for him until I saw something explode behind the Grass lady.

"_He must've planted some exploding bombs on her without anyone noticing. That's the clever Sasuke I know and love."_ I mentally cheered.

After the bombs exploded, Sasuke jumped away from her and started flinging invisible wires all around her. There were some in both hands and even a few in his mouth. He performed some hand signs that allowed fire to travel from his mouth and through the wires. My ears caught the agonizing screams she gave as she was burned alive. The flames kept burning after a while until they finally disappeared. When they did, she was still tied to the tree and her body was limp.

I couldn't contain my excitement as I ran to his side with a wide smile on my face and my cotton tail wagging.

"You did it Sasuke. Congratulations." I cheered, but stopped when I saw how hard he was panting. "You ok?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." He panted a little more before standing tall and clam. "Has Naruto awakened yet?"

"No. He's still handing from where I threw that kunai." I answered.

Sasuke nodded. "Let's go get Naruto down and hide before her teammates show up." He commanded.

I nodded in agreement, but before he could take off I placed my hand on his shoulder with a smile. "I'm proud of you Sasuke."

He nodded with a little smile on his face and his sleek, black tail moving gently behind him. "Thank you."

We were about to leave, but the sound of someone laughing stopped us. We looked around and tried to see we saw some of the Grass woman's teammates but there were none. That's when we looked at where she was tied to the tree and saw that she –or whatever it was- was laughing. It pulled away from the tree by breaking the wires around its body. Sasuke and I gasped when it performed some type of freezing jutsu on us. My body gave out and I fell on my knees, but Sasuke was able to remain standing.

"No… That's impossible. It can't be!" Sasuke yelled.

"_**I must say that I'm proud of you, Sasuke. You passed my little test with flying colors. You turned out to be a true Uchiha after all… Now there's no doubt in my mind that you truly are his brother. In fact, if I'm not mistaken… your eyes might even be sharper than Itachi's."**_ The voice that spoke from the Grass woman's body belonged to a guy.

I turned to see what's going on and gasped. Because of Sasuke-kun's attack, half of the woman's face was chard off. The half that was burned off was what intrigued me. There was a pale face under the tanned face that we thought belonged to the Grass woman. I saw a golden eye with purple eye shadow above the left eye. The little bit of skin that I saw looked too pale to be healthy. It seemed as if this guy barely gets out in the sun at all, a common trait among people with snake DNA in their system.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Sasuke yelled while still struggling to move.

The Grass lady, or whatever it was, only chuckled as it removed the skin on its face. The sight made me sick, but the terrifying face underneath helped me to not throw up. The rest of the face was just like the little piece that I saw. The thing that creped me out the most was the menacing smile _**he **_wore.

After the skin was removed and tossed aside, he pulled out the Earth Scroll and started tossing it up before catching it again with his snake tail moving behind him gently.

"_**My name is Orochimaru. My desires won't be revealed until you pass another test I have setup for you." **_He smirked before a green flame came from his hand and started burning the scroll.

"Wait! Don't burn the scroll!" I shouted.

"_**Do not worry your annoying little pink head. You'll be able to obtain another Earth Scroll from the team that you'll have to fight. If you win, then you will be able to obtain this Earth Scroll. But, if you lose… You'll lose your lives… And don't think that this doesn't mean you too, Sasuke-kun. You're the one being tested… Good luck…" **_He turned his back toward us, but stopped and turned back around. _**"Silly me. I almost forgot. I have a present for you Sasuke. A little parting gift if you please."**_

That's when Orochimaru connected his hands before his neck extended. I watched with wide eyes as he bit into the side of Sasuke's neck with her fangs.

"Sasuke?" I yelled in terror at what that snake man did to him. Sasuke was grunting in pain and holding the spot where he was bitten after Orochimaru bit him. "Oh no." I turned my head and glared at the sick freak. _**"What did you do to Sasuke?"**_

"_**Let's just say I enhanced everything on him. In the very near future, Sasuke-kun will seek me out and ask for me to give him more power than he already has. I'll be looking forward to that day."**_ He smirked.

With whatever strength I could muster, I forced my body to stand up. **"I HOPE THAT WE'LL NEVER SEE EACH OTHER AGAIN AND IF WE DO IT'LL BE TOO SOON! I'LL PROTECT SASUKE-KUN FROM YOU, JUST YOU WATCH!"** I yelled.

"_**You nor anyone else will be able to stop Sasuke once he comes to seek me out. Until then I'll be waiting for your pleasurable arrival."**_

The laugh he gave as he disappeared into the tree's branch made my heart want to stop. But, I couldn't think about that now. I had to help Sasuke. My raven love crush fell to his, still clutching his neck, and screamed at the pain he was feeling. I tried to help him. I rushed over to his side and pulled him into my chest while holding his hand. He kept screaming and refused to open his eyes. I looked on his neck and saw that there were three little comma marks right next to his bite mark.

"Tell me Sasuke, what has he done to you?" I asked in a concerned, but calming voice. I only received screams of pain and agony as a response. He just kept screaming. I felt so bad for him. I can't even imagine the pain he must be going through right now. Sasuke gave one more heart wrenching scream before he finally passed out against my chest. I wrapped my arms around his head and tried t calm myself from the panic attack I felt about to come on. **"NARUTO! NARUTO WAKE UP! SASUKE-KUN IS HURT AND I NEED YOUR HELP! NARUTO!"** I screamed, but received no reply.

Both my teammates were unconscious, leaving me to be their protector… My worst nightmare. I wasn't strong enough to protect them on my own. I didn't have the raw strength that Naruto has or the calculating and skills that Sasuke-kun possess. I didn't know how I was going to get through this on my own. But, I couldn't think about that now. Now I have to get those two to safety. We're sitting ducks out here if we don't move. I had to get them somewhere secluded and safe before it was too late.

I gently threw one of Sasuke's arms over my shoulder before jumping down to the ground with him. When I landed, I placed him on the ground, added chakra to my feet, and started to run up the bark that Naruto was still pinned to. With chakra still grounding me to the tree, I removed the kunai from Naruto's jacket and readied myself to catch him. But, before I could do that, Naruto's body started dropping like a rock. I ran down the bark as fast as I could and managed to catch him but when I did we both fell to the ground.

"_Damn. I never knew how heavy Naruto's body was. I need to remind him to go on a diet after this is over."_ I mentally groaned as I stood up and dusted myself off.

I have two bodies I have to protect until I find shelter… this was going to be tough. I grabbed onto the back of their clothing and started dragging them through the forest. Naruto was way heavier than Sasuke, so most of my strength went to my left arm. I grunted every time after every drag, occasionally switching positions to try and make the task easier, but that won't happen until I find some shelter… and soon.

I was surprised that my wish came true. I found a little small cave to hide in not too far from where they fought Orochimaru. I thought that it was too close to the site, but I was too tired to disagree. So, with the last of my strength, I pulled the boys into the cave and laid them down before sitting next to Sasuke. My arms were hurting, I was tired, and I needed help. I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that I was all alone and had to deal with the fact that I had to be the protector for both my teammates.

I leaned over and touched Sasuke's forehead. His tail, ears, and body finally stopped twitching and he was breathing easier now, but he was still running a very high fever. Naruto on the other hand looked like he was barely breathing at all. I had to put one of my fingers under his nose just to feel the faint breaths he was taking. Knowing that both boys were alright, I sighed deeply and leaned against the side of the cave.

"_Today was the fourth day in this stupid forest. That means that tomorrow was the last day to get an Earth Scroll. The only known place I can think of is from that team Orochimaru said we had to fight. But, I'm the only one able to fight. So that means that it's up to me to get that scroll. If I don't… then we can kiss our lives and the scroll goodbye. I can't lose… I __**won't**__ lose."_

I was determined. I wasn't going to let Naruto or Sasuke down after they bravely fought while I stood on the sidelines. They're depending on me to be the hero now and that's what I was going to do. With a smile on my face, I slowly slipped into dreamland with thoughts of my future with Sasuke and the feeling of being watched on my mind.

…

…

…

I started to groan and stretch when I felt the sun on my face. I looked around and saw that daybreak was here, faster than I wanted to, but I can't complain. I looked down and saw that both Naruto and Sasuke were still knocked out. I'm relieved that they're still alive, but I wish they'd wake up and have things go back to normal. I was scared knowing that I was going to take on any opponent that we were going to come by on my own, but if it's what I must do so we can pass then I will force myself to be ready when the time arrives… I just hope this bad feeling I'm getting is something that just comes from the pressure I'm under and from anything else.

I jerked at the sound of the bushes rustling and pulled out my kunai. But, the creature that came was just a squirrel. I sighed in relief, but something still felt off. The squirrel was running towards us pretty fast. I looked around and saw that it had a paper bomb stuck to its back. Before it got too close, I threw my kunai and stopped it. The squirrel ended up sprinting away in fear, causing another sigh.

"_That was too close. Attaching a paper bomb to a squirrel was brilliant. That must mean that whoever is here will be attacking soon and that they're clever. I better stay on my toes."_

I lifted my white bunny ears and used them to focus in and see if I could pick up any sounds around me. If Sasuke knew what I was doing, he'd be so proud. But, I couldn't thoughts like that distract me. I have to stay focused and be ready for anything that comes my way. When I didn't hear anything, I relaxed my ears and settled back against the side of the cave. I was still a little tired from sleeping uncomfortably for the few hours I did sleep. That's when I started to close my eyes and relax further. I was almost asleep… it was within my reach.

"_**Falling asleep already? I wouldn't want you to be my look out."**_

I took out one of my kunai and slowly turned to see three Sound ninja standing before me. One was a brown bear covered with a fur cape and hunched over, another was a gray weasel girl with really long black hair and a purple bow at the end, and the last was a skinny green lizard guy with spiked black hair. All of them were looking nowhere near as terrifying as Orochimaru, but still pretty scary.

"_These must be the Sound ninja Orochimaru told us about. Great, now I'll have to be the one to fight them all. Perfect."_

I stood up with my kunai ready in my hand. "What do you want?" I glared.

"_**We want you to wake Sasuke up so that we can fight him."**_ The bear answered.

"Sorry, but he's unavailable right now. But, even if he was, you'll have to go through me to get him." I continued with my glare as I readied myself for combat.

"That's it you little brat. You're going~"

"_**Wait a second. Don't rush into things."**_ The bear said the lizard before moving forward to my trap.

"But Zaku~"

"_**Shut up and do as I say."**_ Zaku growled. I mentally cheered until he started pointing out the flaws in my trap. _**"This is absolutely pathetic. This type of grass doesn't even grow here and everything about the trap you set is off. If you're going to set a trap, the least you could do it make it more believable. What a waste."**_ He sighed as he stood up.

"That makes sense as to why you scared that squirrel away. You didn't want it to ruin the one you had set out. It finally makes sense." The weasel girl smirked.

"Now Kin Tsuchi be nice. She was only trying to protect her friends." The lizard guy teased with a laugh.

"_**Now that that's out of the way… we can kill you."**_ Zaku ordered.

I watched as they jumped towards me, but I was ready. I used the kunai in my hand to cut the invisible wire next to me. The group was surprised by my other trap, but quickly got rid of it before it connected. They laughed at me and who could blame them. That second trap was my best. They were getting closer and the only thing I could do was flinch away while trying to stop the tears.

"_**Leaf Hurricane."**_ I heard a familiar voice say. I looked up to see Rock Lee fly in and knock everyone down. "Are you alright, Sakura?" He asked with a smile.

"I'm fine. Thank you for coming to my rescue." I nodded with a smile.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kin Tsuchi asked.

"I am the handsome Rock Lee, and I am here to stop you three from beating up on my Sakura-chan."

"**I AM NOT YOURS!"** I yelled with my fists in the air.

"With great hope and strength, I hope that you will be someday." He smiled gently at me with a sincere tone and love in his eyes. I couldn't argue with that, so I lowered my fists and watched them talk.

"Awe. Isn't that cute. The idiot wants to protect his little girlfriend. Well you both can die here!" Yelled the lizard.

"_**I will handle these two brats while you two grab Sasuke." **_ Zaku commanded as he handed the lizard guy the scroll before heading towards Lee.

Zaku went to go attack him, but Lee was ready. He reached into the ground and pulled out a large piece of tree underground to deflect the attack. Zaku was pushed back, giving Lee time to unwrap his arm bandages. When Zaku came running at him again, Lee disappeared, reappeared beneath him, kicked Zaku into the air, jumped up behind him, wrapped his bandages around his bear opponent, turned him upside down, and made them look like a spinning tornado as they hit the ground. It almost worked, but the lizard guy saved his life by performing some type of Earth Jutsu. Lee flipped away from Zaku. We both watched in fear as his emerged from the pile of dirt somewhat harmed.

"You should be thanking Zaku. You would've been dead had I not saved your ass." The lizard smirked.

"_**I must admit, that is one frightening ass jutsu. Even though I fell onto the soft dirt, I still felt some of the impact. Impressive." **_ Zaku said before turning around and lifting his sleeve. _**"My turn now."**_ Zaku rushed at Lee and did something to make him. I saw Lee's body shake violently as he fell to his knees. _**"Now you're going to see a technique we call… The Wall."**_

"Lee!" I gasped with my hands over my mouth. I watched as he threw up some blood. "What's wrong?"

"My ears?" Lee screamed.

"_**You are now experiencing the Wall. This little gadget on my arm enters you and disrupts the organs in your inner ear that control your balance. Everything you're feeling is all natural. In fact… If I were you, I wouldn't even think about standing up."**_ Zaku laughed.

"Face it kid you've lost before this battle even started. We can manipulate the vibrations as well as control the earth anyway we please. You have jutsus unknown to anyone outside our village. This is the jutsu of the future and because you fight with out of date techniques… you'll suffer the consequences and pay with your life." The lizard man laughed.

I only glared at him momentarily before turning my attention back to Lee. He looked to be in so much pain. I wished that there was something that I could do. But what?

"_**Your turn, little bunny girl." **_Zaku laughed as he ran for me.

I was ready, but I didn't know how I was going to be able to dodge that Wall technique. Right when he was about to attack me, Lee got in between us and kicked Zaku with his feet.

"_**Not as effective as before, but I'm impressed that you're able to move." **_The bear chuckled.

He swung his arm and hit Lee's defending arms, but when they connected an earsplitting sound screeched out. I had to cover my sensitive ears from the sound.

"_**Do you hear that? It's a horrifying sound that come from my gadget and can travel anywhere I want it to go."**_

Lee started to scream before falling to the floor unconscious. I couldn't watch this anymore. I grabbed a few kunai and held a firm grip on them. Zaku was about to finish Lee off, but I threw the kunai in my left hand first. He blocked them with that metal gadget on his arm.

"_**Don't you touch him." **_ I growled.

"Well, well, well. Looks like bunny girl finally wants to play. About time. I was wondering when you were going to stop being a coward and come out to fight." Kin Tsuchi smirked with her hands on her hips.

"Ya damn right. I won't stand by and watch you hurt Lee anymore. And I sure as hell am not going to let you take Sasuke from me. I am going to fight until my last breath… even if it means my life." I glared.

I threw my shuriken at them, but the lizard just jumped in the way and used the air to throw them back at me. I used my arms to cover my face and hissed every time I felt one of them cut me. I started to go down, but something caught my hair. I turned my head to see that Kin was holding me hostage by my long pink hair. My ears were lowered and I couldn't stop the pain that was going from each strain to my scalp.

"Weak little girl. You should've been paying more attention to your studies instead of shampooing and tending to your soft pretty locks. Now, because of your weakness, we're going to make you sit here and watch as we kill Sasuke right in front of your face. I hope you didn't treat your hair this nice just to get the attention of that boy. Because if you did… it was just a wasted effort." She laughed.

I gripped the dirt underneath me and started to cry. There was no strength left in my body. I was done for. I am truly weak. If Sasuke saw me now, he'd think that I was pathetic and weak just like the rest of the other girls. Ino, TenTen, Hinata… every girl that I graduated with and who are apart of these exams are stronger than I am. I thought this whole time I could just get by with the fact that I was smart, but I see now that I was wrong. Naruto… Sasuke… and Lee all put their lives on the line to protect me… just like always. Why am I so weak? Why can't I do for them what they did for me? What's wrong with me?

I kept crying until I heard footsteps. I looked up and saw the lizard guy heading towards Sasuke and Naruto. That's when something in me snapped.

"No!" I yelled. "I'm not going to let you hurt Sasuke!" I could feel determination boil inside of me. I wasn't going to sit around and let everybody down anymore. Things were going to change… starting with my hair. I pulled out another kunai and held it in my hand firmly.

"Come now. Do you really think that'll work on me?" Kin smirked, but made it disappear when I turned to her with a smirk of my own.

"_**It's not meant for you."**_

I reached up with both of my hands and used the kunai to slice through my tresses and free myself from Kin's hold. The long haired girl fell back on her butt with my hair still in her hand. I stood up, ignoring the strands that were still falling along with my headband and the shocked stares of my opponents. I clenched my fists tightly and growled lowly under my breath as I glared every one of my opponents down.

"_**I'm done being the helpless victim… It's my turn to show you just how weak I am!"**_

I performed some hand signs and made a substitution when appear right when Kin attacked me. I came running out of the forest and threw more kunai at the lizard man. Before he could send them back at me I performed another substitution jutsu before appearing out of the sky. He threw three kunai at me. I used my arms and legs to cover my front, only hissing when they went into my legs and arm. When I was sure he thought I did another substitution jutsu, I grabbed the kunais out of my body and used them to stab him. We both went down and I stated to bit on the same arm I stabbed him in. I wanted to cry from the pain each time be punched my head, but I held them back and tightened the bit I had on his arm.

"You psychotic bitch! Let me go!" He held as he kept punching me, but I held on tight for dear life.

"_I have to win."_

After delivering his final punch, the lizard guy threw me off of him and onto the ground. I struggled to get up, but I did.

"_I have to win on my own."_

"You annoying little pest! Now it's time to die!" He yelled before holding out his hands.

"_No one else is here! I HAVE TO WIN!"_

Right when he was about to attack, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji jumped in front of me.

"What are… you guys doing here?" I asked.

"What does it look like, Billboard Bunny Head? We're saving your beat up ass." She smirked.

Usually that called for fighting words, but I know the true meaning behind her words. "Thank you." I nodded in appreciation.

"Think nothing of it. Besides… I said I'd never let you show me, right? And that's exactly what I'm not going to have happen." She spoke with her back turned towards me and her pink pig ears twitching in anticipation.

"_**What do we have here? More Leaf twerps? Damn, that just means more work for me." **_Zaku snorted.

"Are really going to risk our lives to save them? I mean they're supposed to be our enemies during this test. I don't know about you, but I don't feel like dying. There are too many snacks that are left uneaten by me."

"Quit your whining Choji and don't worry. Besides, we're a team. We're supposed to stick together and be shown up by a girl. We're man damnit. So stop your squirming and sit still. You're giving me a head ache." Shikamaru groaned.

"Well I don't consider this teamwork. This is suicide. I'm out of here." Choji said as he tried to get away.

"It's ok by me. I mean you wouldn't be much of a challenge. You're probably too fat to even move your pudgy arms and legs, right?" the lizard dude laughed.

I saw the look on Choji's face and got scared myself.

"You shouldn't have done that." Shikamaru sung with a smirk.

"_**Did I hear you right? Did you just call me fat?"**_ Choji growled as he turned around.

"Yeah, but what are you going to do about it? Sit on me?" He laughed some more.

"_**You're going to pay for that."**_ Choji growled deeper.

I turned around and stared at Sasuke, Lee, and Naruto with a worried expression. "Sakura. Take care of them. We'll handle these jerks." Ino said. I nodded before getting up to go get Lee. "Alright Team Ino. Let's do this."

"Bear Boulder!" Choji yelled before turning into a giant rolling ball and heading for the laughing lizard.

He used the air to hold Choji back, but it didn't last. Before too long, Choji's ball jumped the air stream and was about to land on the lizard. Zaku went to go help him, but Shikamaru stopped him with his shadow possession jutsu. Choji finally landed, but the lizard man got out of the way. Next was Ino's turn. She performed her body possession jutsu perfectly. That's one of her many attacks I envy that her clan possess.

"Don't you move. All you have to do is drop the scroll and retreat. If you don't comply, then I'll slice your teammate's neck wide open." Kin (Ino) said as she held the kunai up to her neck.

"_Something's not right here."_ I thought.

And I was right. The lizard guy held out his hand and shot some air at Kin (Ino). Choji intercepted it, but both were knocked back into a nearby tree.

"What kind of monsters would attack their own teammates?" I asked.

"_**Us. You see. We could give two rat asses about each other. We don't even like each other. The only thing we came here to do was kill Sasuke Uchiha. And that's exactly what we're going to do."**_ It just so happens that Shikamaru's jutsu wore off at that precise moment. _**"I see that your jutsu has its limits. Wonderful. Now I can kill you. What a pity. And to think that we were expecting more from you three. Oh well. What can you expect from ninja produced by a second rate village?"**_

"_**If we're second right, then your village must be third." **_I looked up to see Lee's team, Neji and Tenten standing above us. They jumped down. "Are you ready to face the real deal?" Neji spoke.

"Neji. Lee's down." Tenten warned.

"I can see that. I can also see that they managed to knock down someone as strong as Lee. They're either strong or really lucky." Neji thought.

"_**Whoever used Lee as a punching bag will die." **_Tenten smirked as she readied herself and her kunai.

"_**NO ONE DOES THAT TO OUR TEAMMATE AND GETS AWAY WITH IT!" **_Neji roared before using his eyes and causing veins to pop out of his face.

"Those eyes! What are they?" The lizard man yelled in fear.

I watched as Neji scanned the surroundings, but never moved. I was wondering when they were going to attack.

"Actually… we don't need to fight… It's out of our hands…" Neji smirked.

None of us knew what he meant until I turned around. "Sasuke!" I yelled in excitement, but stopped when I saw purple chakra swirl around his body as he slowly managed to stand up. "Sasuke?" I asked. He opened his eyes and reviled his Sharingan to me.

I practically jumped back when he spoke my name. _**"Sakura…"**_ His eyes were focused on me and I also noticed red flames crawling up his whole left side until they turned black. _**"Sakura… who hurt you…? Tell me… Who did this to you…?"**_

I didn't know what to say. All I could do was stare in fright at the Sasuke before me. "Are you alright? What has happened to you?"

"_**It's just the power I received from Orochimaru flowing through me. I'm alright though. No need to worry. I know what I am now, and I know what I must do…"**_ He continued to look at me. _**"Is Naruto safe?"**_

"Yes, but he's still unconscious. You're the first to wake up." I answered.

He nodded his head in approval, before turning to the cave and staring at Naruto. _**"Now tell me… which one of these mother fuckers hurt you."**_

I was about to answer, but the lizard guy did first. "I did. Got a problem with that." He smirked.

Sasuke's head turned in his direction with the instinct to kill in his eyes. The lizard guy kept smirking as he put his hands up to face Sasuke.

"_**No! Don't do it you fool! We can't fight him. He's too powerful."**_ Zaku yelled.

"I'm going to kill them all in one go."

He let the wind go. It was powerful, too powerful. I had to hang on just to stay grounded. When the wind was gone, lizard breath was still smirking.

"How do ya like that?"

"_**Pathetic."**_ Sasuke said before knocking him back to where Zaku was standing.

But he wasn't done. Next, Sasuke perform one of his famous fire attacks. Lizard boy tried to counter it with the wind, but he only blew the flames away. I heard him yell at all the shurikens and kunai flying his way. In the blink of an eye, Sasuke was right behind him with one foot on his back while he was tugging on lizard boy's arms. We all watched with terror in our eyes as Sasuke kept pulling and pulling until something snapped and he fell unconscious. Sasuke then turned to a terrified Zaku.

"_**You're the last one left… I hope you make things more fun than your friend over there did." **_ Sasuke smirked as he made his way over to Zaku.

I watched Sasuke's back the whole time as he made his way over there. I knew that that wasn't Sasuke. The Sasuke I know and love wouldn't be this way. That's not Sasuke. He's not. I was too busy thinking about Sasuke to notice that Naruto was waking up right next to me. I wanted, needed, to do something before it was too late.

"**SASUKE!"** Naruto yelled, causing Sasuke to stop.

No was my chance. I ran to Sasuke with my arms wide open and hugged his body to mine. "No Sasuke! Don't do it!" I cried.

I cried into his back and begged him to stop. After a few moments, I noticed that the marks were starting to disappear and he fell back on his butt, panting.

"_**Sasuke." **_ Zaku started. _**"You are too strong for us to fight now. There's no way we'll win against you like this, so let's make a deal. I'll give you the scroll in exchange for letting us go." **_ We watched as he placed the scroll down before moving to pick up his friends. _**"I know everything that we needed to know. We're even… for now. But, mark my words. If we ever meet again on the battle field… We WILL be victorious."**_ And with that, they disappeared.

"Sasuke…" I heard from behind us.

We turned around to see Naruto standing behind us with a smile and his arms crossed. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

"Naruto… you're awake… I'm glad…" Sasuke panted before fainting against me.

"Is he alright?" Naruto asked.

"He's fine. Just a little tired." I answered with a smile.

At this moment, everyone came out. Tenten and Neji moved to go towards Lee and Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji came to stand by us. Ino grabbed the scroll and handed me.

"Here. You were the one that put up the best fight. This rightfully belongs to you." Ino smiled as she handed me the scroll.

"Ino. You sure?" I asked.

"Yep. You fought and made some brave choices. Great job. Besides, we have our two." She winked.

"As do we." Neji stated.

I nodded in appreciation before smiling down at Sasuke, who was resting his head in my lap. I saw Naruto looking around after he moved to sit next to me. "I can see a lot happened here… Wanna tell me all about it?"

…

…

…

I was the one that told everyone what happened after Orochimaru knocked both Sasuke and Naruto out. Sasuke was still sleeping in my lap, Ino was fixing my hair, and everyone was wide awake and bandaged up, except Sasuke.

"Wow Sakura, you're really brave. And still don't know how to thank you for taking care and protecting us while we were sleeping." Naruto smiled.

"It was no big deal. By the way… you're going on a diet. I never would've thought you'd be that heavy." I smiled back, causing him to nervously scratch the back of his head.

"_It feels nice hearing praise from someone stronger than me."_

"Hey. I helped too. If it wasn't for me, Sakura-bunny over here would be dead." Ino added.

"Thanks you guys too then." Naruto laughed while scratching.

"There you go Sakura. I finally fixed your hair. It's a little shorter now, but at least this way it'll grow back straight and in place instead of all over your large forehead." She smirked.

I ignored what she just said. "Thank you once again… But, not we're back to being rivals." I smirked.

"Until one of us wins." She finished.

"You ready to go?" Shikamaru groaned. "The sun's almost setting. We need to get a move on."

"He's correct. If we do not make it there in time, then we'll all be disqualified." Neji said as he hosted Lee up with Tenten's help.

Naruto moved to place Sasuke on his back. I was about to get up, but fell right back down. I guess I was still weak from the fight. Ino gave a dramatic sigh before lifting me up on to her back.

"Weakling." She sighed with a smirk.

"Then I'll be the one to carry the scrolls." Shikamaru groaned again.

"And I'll carry the supplies!" Choji cheered.

"**DON'T EAT IT!"** We all yelled, causing Choji to whimper.

"Wait! There's one thing I would like to say." Everyone turned to face me. I started to blush, but didn't care. "Thank you… for always coming to my rescue and teaching me that it's my turn to be strong."

They all did their mumbles of appreciation before we left to head to the tower.

…

…

…

It didn't take long, a few hours or so, to get there. When we did, Shikamaru put all the scrolls into a slot that said 'Place scroll here' and we waited. Soon smoke started appearing right next to us. We readied ourselves for an enemy, but relaxed when it was Iruka-sensei standing there.

"Congratulations on passing my former pupils." He bowed in respect.

We merrily cheered and sighed in relief at our victory. I was happy that I finally learned that I can be strong too. I just needed to believe in myself. I'm a little upset that I had to lose my hair to do so, but it was worth it to have the high that I'm on right now. I feel powerful, unstoppable, and stronger. I'll have to be sure to thank Kakashi-sensei for convincing to take this test after its over. But, one question remained…

"_Where on earth are the Sand Siblings?"_

…

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on 'Let's Only Try It Just Once'…**

They made it to the tower, but their battles are far from over.


	15. The Preliminary Matches

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Nothing special

**Chapter 14: The Preliminary Matches**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"Congratulations on passing my former students." Iruka-sensei bowed in respect to the three teams that made it to the tower. "To tell the truth, I was actually getting worried. It was the last day and I hadn't seen you guys yet. I was worried something happened to you guys, but I can see that I was worried for nothing. Congratulations."

"But wait, what are you doing here, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"We chunin have been asked to greet any genin that returned on time and opened the scrolls when it was time to do so. This part of the exam was about how far you are willing to protect the information handed to you, the other lesson was about how disciplined you are. If you are entrusted with important information and are ordered to not look at it, then you cannot look at it no matter how tempting." Iruka-sensei explained.

"And would you have done had we looked at our scroll?" Neji asked.

"If a genin opened the scrolls before instructed to, we chunin were instructed to knock them out immediately. The sleeping jutsu would've lasted until this portion of the test was over. Some people found out the hard way. You guys just so happened to have made it in time, so my guess is that they should be waking up very soon." He answered with a smile before turning around. "Follow me. You guys look like you need some rest, refreshing, and some healing. We will take you to the infirmary where you will receive the best care before continuing onto the next portion.

"Excuse me, Iruka-sensei, but what is the next potion?" Ino asked.

"The next portion after this would usually be the Finals, but because there are so many genin this year… we may have to go through with the Preliminary Matches. The Preliminary Matches would be considered the semi-finals. From here on out you will no longer be scored as a team. We use the Finals to see exactly what each genin has to offer. Whoever wins against their opponent will receive the title and headband of a chunin. Whoever loses will be eligible to try again next year. And since the Preliminary Matches are the semi-finals, the same thing happens. We will randomly put you against other genin and you two will fight until a winner is decided. Whoever wins will move on to face someone else in the Finals. The losers will be eligible for the next Chunin Exams. So, there's no worry." Their dolphin sensei informed with a smile before stopping in front of three doors. "These rooms are designated for your medical treatments and for you to rest in peace. Inside are some of the best medical ninja this village has to offer. I hope your recovery will be fast because tomorrow you will know if the Finals are next or the Preliminary Matches." Everyone nodding appreciation as they moved to the rooms.

Ino carried an unconscious Sakura into the room, placed her gently on a bed, and made her way to her team's room. On her way, she passed a nervous looking Naruto and wondered why he was shaking in his sandals. After a few more moments of thinking, she just shrugged it off to reliving that fight he had with that Orochimaru character. But, Iruka-sensei knew better.

He knew that Naruto was nervous because of the treatment he would receive from those doctors. All his life, Iruka had to be the one to patch up Naruto when he got hurt. No one would even touch him because of what he had inside of him. If he was sick, Iruka had to play his nurse and doctor. He hated every moment of it. It wasn't because he hated Naruto, which he did in the beginning but soon got over it when Naruto showed him that he was nothing like the monster that killed his parents. It was because there were some wounds Naruto obtained when he was a kid that needed to be treated by an actual doctor or medical ninja, but couldn't because no one would treat the Kyuubi container. There were times when Naruto would come to him with broken bones or bloody because he was beat so bad, but Iruka couldn't take him to the hospital because he knew they would just send him away. And the one time he actually got him to take Naruto in, Iruka vowed to never do it again.

**Flashback**

_Naruto was about seven years old when the incident happened. The Academy had closed down for the night, but Iruka had to stay back and grade papers, the one time he was glad that he had to. It was around nine o'clock when Iruka finally packed up to leave. He threw his bag over his shoulder and made his way to the door. Iruka practically jumped back when he saw a bloody Naruto standing at the door with one leg and one arm broken. His clothes were torn, his face was swollen from all the bruises that littered his face, a piece of his right ear was missing, and patches of his blond hair and fur on his tail were missing. When he asked the fox child what happened he said that he was ganged up on by some of the villagers after they chased him into an ally. That infuriated the dolphin sensei. He wanted to hunt every one of those villagers down and kill them ten times over, but right now he had to focus on Naruto's injuries. By time he made it to the hospital, Naruto was shaking violently from the pain. Iruka busted through the front door and cried for help. The nurses ran to his aid, but when they found out whom the patient was they ordered them to leave. Iruka wouldn't stand for it and forced the staff to work on his adopted son. They did as they were told, but when they took Naruto from Iruka and put him into the examination room, the most violent screams could be heard. Iruka chalked it up to Naruto's reaction to people touching his sensitive wounds, but when he went inside to see if he could help calm Naruto down he gasped in horror. The doctors weren't treating him at all. They were roughly handling him, trying to stuff pills down his throat, making more wounds on his tattered body, and trying to insert deadly things inside of him. Without a second thought, Iruka jumped into action and managed to knock all the doctors out before picking up and unconscious Naruto and sprinting to the Hokage's office. Everything from that point on was better. The Hokage sentence the nurses and doctors to death for attempted murder on a child and he ordered a special medical ninja team to take care of Naruto's injuries. These would also be the same medical ninja that would be assigned to treat Naruto every time Iruka brought him in. It took a week for Naruto to get back to his old self and heal completely with Iruka's help. During that whole week, Iruka stayed by Naruto's side and did everything he could to see that Naruto got better as quickly as possible. And, on that same day, Iruka-sensei vowed to forever protect Naruto right up until his death._

**Flashback Over**

Seeing Naruto shake like that infuriated Iruka to no end. He knew that the blond has been afraid to go to the hospital ever since that day and doesn't blame him. If it weren't for the surprise he had in store for the blond, he would take Naruto to the Hokage like he's been in the past.

Iruka-sensei walked up to Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder. The blond stopped shaking and turned to face his adoptive father's smiling face. "Don't worry Naruto. Everything will be fine once you go in there. The same medical ninja that has been treating you is in there and so is someone special." And with that the dolphin man walked away with his tail swinging from side to side merrily.

Raising an eyebrow to what his sensei just said, Naruto slowly grabbed hold of the knob and opened the door. To his surprise there was a silver haired wolf sitting in the corner and reading his porn book.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto whispered.

"Oh hi Naruto. It's good to see that the three of you made it to the last portion alive. It's also good to see that you're the only on awake right now." The wolf smiled as he put his book away.

There were medical ninja in the room that were already two of them working on Sakura. The set of two that wasn't working on her, took Sasuke from Naruto and started on him. That left two to take care of Naruto. They helped him onto the bed and went to work immediately. While they were working on him, Naruto laid back into the comfortable bed and soon fell asleep. Kakashi walked around and examined each of his student's carefully while the medical ninja continued working. When he came to Sasuke's bed he stopped. On the raven feline's next was a symbol he had read about and seen one other time. A glare appeared on the wolf's face as he continued to stare at the mark.

"_What the hell happened in that Forest of Death?"_

…

…

…

Sasuke was the first to wake up from his slumber. He looked over to Sakura and saw that she was sleeping peacefully and that was good, but who he really cared about was Naruto. He looked over to see the blond sleeping soundly with bandages on him. He had almost never seen Naruto sleep so peacefully without him by his side. It felt good knowing that Naruto was finally getting strong enough to overcome some of his fears from the past. He continued to stare at Naruto and smile as he thought back to how bravely Naruto took on Orochimaru and his snake. But, one thing puzzled him.

He thought back to when Naruto saved him from the snake's attack and remembered the terrifying look in his eyes. They were red, not the blue that he's been so accustomed to seeing. They had slits, almost like a demon's eyes. Both his claws and fangs were elongated more than usual. His hair was roughly spiked and his whisker marks looked jagged. It was Naruto, but that Naruto was different from his Naruto. It was almost frightening. He would have to ask Naruto when he woke up what that power he possessed was.

"_**It's good to see that you're awake."**_

That voice made Sasuke jump out of his skin. He quickly turned his head and saw Kakashi sitting back in his chair and reading his porn. "Kakashi? What are you doing here?"

"I've been here before Naruto brought you guys into the room. And I must say congratulations on passing the second part. Tell me, how was it?" The wolf smiled as he moved to sit on the edge of Sasuke's bed.

"It was fine. We ran into some trouble, but each of us managed to make it out on top." The raven nodded with his hands in his lap.

"That's good. I see that each of you came back a little different. Sakura's hair is now short, some of Naruto's chakra has been cut of… you received the Curse Mark."

That last part made Sasuke's eyes widen as he moved to quickly cover said mark on his neck. "How do you know about that?"

"I saw it on your neck while the medical ninja were examining you." Kakashi answered. Sasuke looked down while still holding his neck. "Orochimaru gave it to you, didn't he?"

Sasuke nodded. "He gave it to me after I technically defeated him in battle. He said that it was a _**parting gift**_**. **He said that I would be consumed with so much hate, anger, and thirst for revenge that I would seek him out."

"If that's the case, then we have to get it sealed right away. If we don't do it within the next 24 hours, then that process might happen sooner than we would like to hope." Kakashi stood up slowly. Can you stand?"

"I think so. " Sasuke pulled the covers back and threw his legs over the side. He wobbled a little bit, trying to get the blood flowing into his numb legs, before finally standing still. He took one look at Naruto. "Let's go."

The two started making their way to the door, but stopped when they heard a voice.

"Sasuke? You're up? How do you feel?" Naruto asked while yawning.

"I'm fine. What about you?" Sasuke asked back.

"Actually, I feel good as new. You know nothing can keep me down." The blond fox smiled, causing Sasuke to smile and shake his head.

"Sasuke-kun? You're alright and back to normal. What a relief." Sakura spoke while yawning too.

"It's good to see that you're alright too. By the way, I never thanked you for protecting us while we were knocked out. So thank you." The raven feline nodded.

"It was nothing. Really." She nervously laughed through her blush.

Naruto and Sakura turned to ask each other how they were doing when Kakashi leaned down next to Sasuke's ear. "We should be going."

Sasuke nodded as they headed to the door.

"Hey, where are you two going?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah Sasuke-kun. Shouldn't you be relaxing?" Sakura asked.

"I have something important to discuss with him." Kakashi said smoothly.

"Is it about the mark on his neck? The one Orochimaru gave him?" Sakura questioned.

Kakashi looked at the pink haired bunny for a long time. The air filled with suspense and anxiety. "… Yes…"

Before anyone could ask any questions, Iruka-sensei opened the door.

"I'm sorry, but was I interrupting something?" He asked.

"Not at all. I always have time for you." Kakashi flirted.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke rolled their eyes at his comment. _"Pervert."_ They all mentally thought.

Iruka blushed as he cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I just came to warm you that the Hokage requests the appearance of all the genin and their senseis to the arena. The Hokage has decided what the next portion is going to be." And with that, Iruka left before Kakashi could say anything else perverted.

"Well, looks like your discussion will have to wait. We have an exam to finish." Naruto cheered as he grabbed his stuff and rushed to put his newly mended clothes on. Sasuke and Sakura did the same, except Sakura went to the bathroom to get dressed. Once they were done, Kakashi went to escort them to the arena.

…

…

…

All the genin were to stand on the ground. They went down one by one to the arena, but Kakashi stopped Sasuke.

"Once your battle is over, we have to begin the sealing process."

Sasuke nodded and continued downward with the rest of his team. Kakashi watched his team the whole walk he took to his stand behind the Hokage with the rest of the senseis.

"First of all I would like to congratulate all 21 of you genin for passing the second part. That means that there are only seven teams out of 26 left to weed out. I'm impressed. To be honest, I'm very surprised. I would've at least thought this group would've dwindled to the single digits, but I guess what Ibiki said about this group was true… You guys are tougher this year and have made your villages proud." Anko stated with a smile on her face before continuing. " I would like to make all of you chunin, but the rules prohibit me from doing so. The rules also say that there are too many of you to let pass through to the Finals, so to make things easier and weed out the weak from the strong we will have to go through with the Preliminary Matches. From here on out, you will no longer be fighting in three-man squads. You and your opponent will be randomly selected by the board above me. Whoever wins will proceed to Finals while the loser will have the privilege of participating in next year's Chunin exams." Anko explained.

Everyone looked around and stared down their possible opponents. Some are glad that certain people made it through while other look at some with envy and hate. Most, though, were looking at Sasuke with scorn, interest, or admiration. Some of the Junín were looking at the Sand Siblings with worry and fear. They were the only team that passed the second round in one day and received no scratches on them what so ever. They figured the Rookie 9 would have some trouble with those three.

"_What's the matter Sasuke? Feeling a little on edge?"_ Naruto lightly teased, using their bond to talk without actually speaking.

"_It's those Sand Siblings. They're sending chills up my spine. I mean, look at them. They're the only team with no scratches. It makes me think that they may be the only team we won't be able to defeat."_ Sasuke concluded.

"_You decipher that based on the fact that they have no scratches? I will admit that it is strange that after the second part that they don't have any scratches, but maybe it's because they're tough. But, so what? They're our opponents. If they passed the second round then they have to be tough. That's just more excitement for me. It wouldn't be fair if we kicked their butts without even trying. I say bring them on. No one can defeat me, not even that Gaara kid."_ Naruto smirked.

"_I see that you haven't lost your cockiness. Good to know. I don't know what I'd do if you suddenly changed on me again."_ Sasuke teased with a smirk of his own.

"The Hokage will now speak and I want each and every one of you maggots to pay attention as hard as you can. This information will be critical for the rest of this exam." Anko stated before passing the speaking part over to the Hokage.

"Thank you Anko. But, before I allow the other half of the Chunin Exams, I would like to tell the participants what the Chunin Exams purpose is. I think they have a right to know." The old monkey spoke. "A long time ago, the villages were at constantly at war. Each village would hand pick the best Shinobi to fight to the death for their village, later leading to the creation of the Chunin Exams. It is true that we use this exam to test how well you do not only as a team, but as an individual. We also test you on how well you can handle life or death situations, protecting valuable information, and the discipline that was drilled into you since you first entered the academy. But, there is also another reason the Chunin Exams were created. Many would consider it as a show. A display, if you will, of every village's version of a Shinobi. These exams determine your career as a ninja. We invite important people to these exams so that they can see how strong the military of each village is. If they like what they see then that village will receive high markings and be recognized as a strong competitor. If they dislike what they see, then that village will be ridiculed and easily toppled. If they are really impressed, then they might even sign you to work for them on high paying missions. It also shows how much pride the Shinobi have for their village. Remember people, even a dead man can still carry their pride. It is all about testing Shinobi's abilities, the power o that village's military strength, and the pride each and every one of you have for your village!" The Hokage explained, causing almost all of the genin to gasp and mummer.

"_So, these Chunin Exams are just to show how far we're willing to go for our village by putting us in life or death situations?"_ Naruto thought angrily.

"_Looks that way. Man, they're treating us like circus freaks for their enjoyment and products that are meant to be bought and sold."_ Sasuke tsked.

"_**It's total bullshit!"**_Naruto growled with his fists clenched.

"_I don't like it any more than you do, but this is technically what we signed up for. If you want to quit now… go ahead… If you think you can't handle it." _Sasuke teased.

"_No way! I'm going to be Hokage someday and, despite how I feel about the creation of the Chunin Exams, I'm going to become a military dog so that I can be its master. Believe it!"_ Naruto said with determination in his voice.

"_Good to know. And I'll be right by your side as the Abu caption." _Sasuke sated with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, a sloth man with his headband covering his ears landed in front of Lord Hokage. "Forgive me, but I would like to say something before you continue.

The Hokage looked at him and nodded. "Go ahead."

The sloth man turned to the group of genin. "I am Genma Shiranui your proctor. And, like Lord Hokage previously stated, we will be having so very important guest watching so we'll be using these Preliminary Matches to speed things along. This part of the exam will allow the stronger of the sets of two to proceed to the Finals. Now I know that all of you received at least one day of rest and medical assistance, but is there some of you not fit to continue on? If there is, then please raise your hand and I'll take your name. You will be removed from these exams, but will still be eligible for a retake next year. We will call the fights to an end when one is either dead, there is no winner, or is we believe that one opponent has taken too much of a brutal beating. So, if you think you're not up to it, please let me know now." The sloth proctor spoke, causing everyone to mumble.

"Ahhh." Sasuke groaned as he grabbed his neck.

"Sasuke, you ok?" Naruto asked.

"I'm fine. No need to worry." He tried to smile through the pain, but failed.

"Sasuke. I think you need to back down. You're in no shape to fight. That mark is bothering you again, isn't it? I think you should just quit and try again next time. We won't judge you. We know that you're injured. Please Sasuke. If you don't do it for me, then do it for yourself." Sakura pleaded.

Sasuke took one look at her and his glare shut her up. "Thank you for your concern, but it's not needed. I can control it and I will continue. I am stronger than this mark. I will not let it control me. I will beat it one way or another."

"No Sasuke, I won't let you do this to yourself. You and I both know that you are in no condition to fight. I won't let you suffer anymore." She cried.

"Will you please shut up? I know what's best for me, not you." He hissed through his pain.

"I'm scared for you, Sasuke. I saw what that marks did to you and I won't let it happen again nor will I let you hurt anyone like that ever again. If telling them about that mark will save your life then that's what I'll do." She glared through her tears.

"_**If you do… I'll kill you…"**_

Naruto was standing back and listening to the conversation intensely.

"_This is between him and her. I know he won't kill her, plus Sasuke's right. Only he knows what's best for him, not me nor her. I'm worried too, but forcing this upon him isn't the way to go about it. I'll let them work it out."_ Naruto thought.

What Sasuke growled made her jump back a little, but she stood her ground and kept her glare. "You won't kill me. And, in the end… you'll thank me for it later."

Sakura was about to raise her hand, but stopped when someone else did.

"I'm out." Kabuto smiled nervously. "You got me. I can't continue anymore."

"Give me your name and you'll be on your way." Genma said while coughing. Kabuto gave Genma his information before exiting the arena, much to people's surprise. "Anyone else?"

Sakura was about to raise her hand, but Sasuke grabbed her by the wrist and put it down. _**"I thought I told you to stay out of it?"**_

"How can I do that when you're suffering?" Sakura cried again.

"_**There you go again, tearing up and jumping into things that don't concern you. This exam means nothing to me. I don't care if I become a chunin or not. All that matters is if I can answer one simple question: 'Am I as strong as I make myself out to be?'. That's all I care about. If I can answer that question with enough confidence, then in my eyes I passed. So I urge you… Stay… Out… Of… My… Business…"**_ He growled heatedly.

Sakura continued to cry, but nodded in an understanding way.

Naruto could sense some of Sasuke's anger and let some of his alpha, demonic energy leak out to him. He waited until his raven was fully calm before speaking.

"_You alright?"_

"_Yes. Thank you, Naruto."_ Sasuke smiled lightly.

"_Sasuke, Sakura's right. I don't like how that mark is affecting you and I don't like what you're doing to yourself."_

"_You gonna try to stop me too?"_

"_No. I believe that you know your own limitations and capability. Just promise me that if you feel like the mark is taking over you or affecting you too heavily, then pull out. I know how you feel about your quest for strength and your goal, but I don't want you paying a price like that. Promise me that you'll forfeit quietly."_

Sasuke thought about Naruto's request and nodded. _"Promise."_

Naruto was the only one who knew him well and he knew that the raven would go to any length to get what he wants, but he also knows that he loves and care for him very much. If Naruto was in his position, Sasuke would be saying the same thing. They were both hardheaded, strong willed, and don't know their limitations. That's why they needed each other, to stop each other from destroying themselves.

Naruto accepted Sasuke's answer with a slight nod.

Everyone gave one more look around and saw that no one else wanted to quit. "Now that we got that out of the way…" The Hokage smoked some of his pipe before continuing. "Let's see who our first fighters are going to be." Everyone looked at the board as it selected the first two names. Everyone was excited, anxious, and nervous at the same time as they stared at the board. Soon the board slowed down until it finally stopped. "Our first fight will be between… Sasuke Uchiha and Yoroi Akado." Lord Hokage announced.

"Will the two contenders please step forward. The rest of you will wait in the balcony for your turn." Genma ordered.

Everyone moved to their place as told.

"Good luck, Sasuke-kun!" Ino cheered.

"Please be careful." Sakura pleaded. Sasuke nodded.

Naruto stopped when he was standing by Sasuke's right shoulder, but facing the opposite way. "Good luck, baby. I'll be watching." The blond fox teased.

"I thought I told you not to call me that?" Sasuke smirked.

"You know I don't listen. Plus it's my favorite nickname for you." Sasuke lightly chuckled with his hands in his pockets. He was about to leave, but stopped when he felt Naruto's hand on his shoulder. They turned to face each other. "Hey, I just wanted to say… I love you. I haven't said it in a few days and I should say it before you go out there and kick his ass."

Sasuke's eyes widen a little before a blush appeared on his face. "I love you too, Naruto." He said with a smile.

Both boys nodded and turned so that they can stand where they are told to.

Sasuke moved to stand in front of Yoroi with a smirk on his face. The man before him was a mole rat with two dark circles for eyes and a cloth covering every part of his face from the nose down. Both were ready to fight.

"You too have been chosen for the first match. Do either of you object?" Genma asked. Neither one objected. "Alright then, Junín and Lord Hokage, please move to the top with the genin. We don't want you to get hurt during these fights."

When Kakashi walked passed Sasuke, he stopped. "Don't forget about our 'conversation' after this. And a word of advice… don't use your chakra or the Sharingan. If you do, then you're life will be in danger. If you so happen to use it as a last resort and the mark reacts, then I will have to step in and stop the fight." The wolf stated.

"Stop the fight?" Sasuke gasped, turning slightly to look at his sensei.

"Good luck." Kakashi smiled before walking away.

Sasuke thought about what Kakashi said before sighing. _"So I have to fight this guy only using my speed and taijutsu? Great, hopefully I can try and get him to laugh himself to death."_

"Let the match begin." Genma called out.

Yoroi added some chakra to his hand as he grabbed some shurikens. Sasuke grabbed some of his own and threw them at his opponent. Since he had less shuriken to throw, Sasuke had to duck on the ground to avoid them. He hissed in pain was his mark started acting up again. Yoroi made his way over to Sasuke and tried to punch him, but missed and got his fist stuck in the ground instead. Sasuke used this as an opportunity break Yoroi's arm with his feet before grabbing his other arm and pinning him to the ground. Everyone cheered at Sasuke's little victory.

"Is that all you've got?" Yoroi asked with one eye brow raised before adding chakra to his other hand glow with chakra.

Sasuke screamed as he held onto his opponent's arm. He felt his strength leaving him and he didn't know why, but his strength was leaving him. He could feel some of his chakra being drained too. Before anymore could be drained, Sasuke used his legs to kick him, but Yoroi dodged it and moved out of the way. Sasuke was left panting on the floor with his hand over his racing heart. But, he didn't have time to relax for long. Yoroi ran back towards Sasuke and placed his glowing hand on the raven's forehead.

"**SASUKE!' **Everyone screamed.

"**GET UP SASUKE!"** Naruto yelled.

"What are you doing to me?" Sasuke grunted in pain.

"You're just noticing it now? How sad. I guess I could tell you since you're too stupid to realize it." Yoroi laughed. "I'm stealing your chakra. You see, without your chakra, you'll die. It's like losing too much blood. It may not be the most creative way or the goriest, but it gets the job done, don't you think?" He chuckled loudly.

Sasuke continued to scream in pain from having his energy and chakra drained out of his body. Everyone watched in anticipation for what Sasuke was going to do next. While his chakra and energy was being stolen, he looked over to Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura.

Two were his teammates, one was his lover, but they were all his family. Sasuke thought that he had no one and he was ok with that. Revenge was all he needed. Revenge was the only thing keeping him alive. Revenge was what made him strong. But, after Naruto entered his life, he found something new to live for. Naruto was alone too, so he made understanding Sasuke seem like child's play. They would spend the nights talking about whatever they wanted to and no matter how sad the conversation was, Naruto always gave him a reason to smile. He made the sadness and pain slowly slip away. He made smiling become second nature to Sasuke. He was like the family he always wanted but only got half of. A kind mother that cherished her son, a big brother to be there to protect and hold him close, and a father that was easy to please and proud of him. Naruto was all of those things wrapped into one, but he was also the strong lover that would do anything it takes to make sure that they were forever together, even fight against himself. That's why Naruto was so thankful to have Naruto in his life. He was glad to know that there's more to life than revenge. Thanks to Naruto, he had his family and his life back while also obtaining love that he thought was lost forever. Kakashi and Sakura are a different story..

Sakura is more of that little sister that whines, complains, cries a lot, and gets on your nerves because she's so hard headed. But, no matter how annoying she gets, you'll be glad to lay your life down to protect her any day. Kakashi is more like his past Itachi. He and Naruto are two of the strongest people he knows and to have the chance at passing them would be life filling to him. Kakashi was his mentor who still had a lot to teach him. He promised himself that, since he got rid of the idea of revenge, he would make a new life with his new family. He promised that he would protect his new family… But he couldn't do that if he lets this guy kill him because all of his chakra and energy was gone.

With this realization in his mind, his determination fire returned. _**"Get… the hell… OFF OF ME!"**_ He yelled as used his legs to kick Yoroi back a few feet.

The mole rat ninja landed on his feet and used his hands to stop himself from sliding more. "So, I see you have some energy left in you. I must say, you're pretty strong… for a test subject. But all test subjects have their limits. Let's see how far you can go without dying." He smirked.

Yoroi added more chakra to his hand before running at Sasuke. The raven used a lot of strength as he forced himself to stand up. His arms were limp in front of him, but he stood his ground. Yoroi kept reaching for him, but Sasuke was able to dodge all of them. There was a close encounter, but Sasuke was able to stumble away from it. Yoroi was getting frustrated with his results. While giving a low growl, Yoroi reached for Sasuke again, but the raven moved his hand out of the way and moved to kick him. Yoroi flipped out of the way and gave a light chuckle.

"Is that really the best you can do?" The mole rat laughed.

Sasuke was panting. He didn't know what to do. He doesn't have the speed to keep up with his opponent much less attack. He still wanted to keep fighting, but his will, strength, and chakra was slowly running out… Naruto saw this and decided to speak up.

"**WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT, SASUKE? THIS DISPLAY YOU'RE GIVING IS PATHETIC! AND YOU CALL YOURSELF AN UCHIHA? IF YOU REALLY WERE AN UCHIHA YOU WOULDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GIVING UP! YOU'D THINK OF SOMETHING AND KICK THAT UGLY BASTARD TO THE CURB! COME ON SASUKE! GET IT IN GEAR AND SHOW HIM WHY YOU'RE PROUD TO BE SASUKE UCHIHA, THE LAST UCHIHA AND CARRIER OF YOUR FELINE CLAN'S NAME!"** Naruto shouted.

Sasuke looked at Naruto and took in what he said. That little speech was what Sasuke needed to get his head straight. Now that he had his head on straight, Sasuke figured out the attack he could use to win this battle.

Across from him, Yoroi added more chakra to his hand and started running towards his feline opponent with the intent to kill him. Sasuke readied himself to attack when the time was right. Yoroi threw out his hand in an attempt at trying to capture the raven, but Sasuke dodged all of them before falling to the ground. Yoroi looked down and saw Sasuke's foot come up and send him flying into the air. Once he was in the air, Sasuke jumped up behind him. He brought up his foot and Yoroi dodged it, but missed Sasuke's other foot and was flipped while in the air. Then he brought down his left arm. The force behind that, caused Yoroi and Sasuke to plummet to the ground.

"_**It's over! LION'S BARRAGE!" **_ Sasuke yelled as he finished Yoroi off by bringing his foot down into the mole rat's stomach.

The crowd gasped at the sight. Despite being weakened beyond comprehension and under the circumstances he was facing, Sasuke finally managed to defeat his opponent. Genma walked over to an unmoving Yoroi and made his judgment.

"Yoroi Akado is unable to continue. Sasuke Uchiha is the winner!"

Everyone cheered while the tired raven collapsed on his hands and knees. His vision was getting blurry and he was too exhausted to do anything. Suddenly, a shadow started to cast over him. He looked up and saw a smiling Naruto holding out his hand.

"I'm proud of you, Sasuke." He whispered. Sasuke only smiled back before taking the hand and allowing Naruto to give him a piggy back ride to the balcony. "You know, Bushy Brow is going to come after you for stealing his attack."

"I didn't steal it. I only borrow it and improved it." Sasuke smirked tiredly.

"Oh yeah? Well try explaining it to Bushy Brow then." Naruto teased.

"Not now. I can only deal with one hyper idiot right now… and that's you… Thank you for giving me that speech. It helped me win."

"Anything for my b~, for my love." Naruto smiled.

"What no baby? You finally listened to my threat?"

"No. I just decided not to mess with you until you feel better." Naruto carried Sasuke up the stairs and sat him against the wall.

Sakura and Ino immediately ran over to him and started asking a million and one questions with their mouths running a mile a minute. Thank goodness for Kakashi intervening.

"Alright girls, give the boy some air." The wolf spoke, leaving no room for arguments. When the girls moved away, Kakashi squatted down to Sasuke's level. "Not bad Sasuke. I almost thought you were going to lose back there, but I thought wrong. Good Job." He smiled through the mask. "Now, you ready to have your Curse Mark sealed?"

"Curse Mark? That's the name of the mark on Sasuke? What does it do?" Naruto asked.

"It's an evil thing to be tagged with. It will consume the wearer with darkness and hatred. It will bring your worst fears to life and make you want to get revenge on anyone for whatever pain you were caused. In Sasuke's case, it would be his brother. I have to use a special jutsu to seal it up so that it doesn't happen to our little Sasuke-kun over here." Kakashi explained.

"How soon do you have to put it on him?" Naruto questioned.

"As soon as possible. That's what I was going to do now. The longer we wait, the more it could take over him, especially in his weakened state. Don't tell Sakura. You know how she gets. I'll come get you when we're done. Iruka will be the one escorting you. Come on Sasuke."

"Bye Sasuke. I'll see you soon." Naruto smiled.

Kakashi was about to teleport them, but Sasuke stopped him by placing his clawed hand on the Junín's hand. "Wait. I want to stay until Naruto finishes his fight."

"But, Sasuke you have to get that thing sealed up. You heard what he said. Besides, after I'm done with my fight I'll come see you. But, you have to go." Naruto said.

"Please. Just let me stay so that I can watch your fight. Once it's over, I'll go with Kakashi. I just want to see if you pass or not. Please." Sasuke pleaded.

Naruto and Kakashi looked at each other before Kakashi sighed heavily. "Fine, but once Naruto's fight is over… we're leaving."

Sasuke nodded as he leaned back against the wall, still panting. Naruto moved to sit next to his lover and held his hand tightly. "You're spoiled, you know that right." Naruto teased.

"Yeah, I know." Sasuke lightly chuckled as he laced their fingers together and fall to lean on Naruto's left shoulder. He didn't care if anyone saw, Sasuke just had the urge to be close to Naruto. They haven't been this close in a while. He figured that this interaction was well over due. Naruto felt the same way, so no one could blame him when used their hands to pull Sasuke a little closer. They got comfortable as they waited for the next match to be decided.

Kakashi stared at the two boys in amazement and awe. It was sweet seeing how they reacted. To others, they looked like best friends, but Kakashi could see through that and saw the love those two shared. It reminded him of himself and Iruka… But that's another story for another day.

…

…

…

"The next match will be between… Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka… Will these two please forward." Genma stated with his arms raised.

The girls gulped and did as they were told. When they were face-to-face on the arena field, shock and nervousness ran through Sakura as she stared her opponent down. Ino on the other hand placed a hand on her hip and smirked with pride as she stared at Sakura.

"Hn. You look pathetic. We haven't even started and you're already shaking. And don't tell me you're not, I can smell the fear radiating from you. It's think, just like that head of yours. You should quit now. You know that I'm the stronger between the two of us. I'll have you beat before the battle even begins. Knowing all of this and if I were in your position… I'd quit. You won't last." Ino smirked.

Everyone watched the two closely. There was a little bit of fear radiating from Ino too, but Sakura's fearful aura overpowered Ino's. The pink hair Kunoichi took in Ino's words before allowing a smirk to grace her pink, full lips.

"Do you remember why we grew our hair out, Ino? It was because we both had heard a rumor that Sasuke liked girls with long hair. So, that's what I did. I grew it out and, because of its color, I had hoped that Sasuke-kun would notice a unique girl like me. I mean, how many girls in this village have pink hair, right? But, unlike you, I paid attention to my hair more than my training. And you would also be right in saying that I won't survive this exam if you had fought for me during that whole battle with the Sound ninja. But, you're wrong. Because of the sacrifice I had to make, I was able to protect Lee, Naruto, and Sasuke from them until you showed up. I was nothing but a scared little girl that thought that I can get by on my looks and intelligence. But, again, I was wrong. In order for me to have continued my guarding duty I had to cut a part of me away so that I can become stronger. And I did. I am stronger now and have more confidence in myself. The old, vein Sakura Haruno is dead. This is who I am now and I am going to continue to get stronger. As for quitting well…" Sakura brought her hand up to stroke her shortened pink locks. "I didn't cut my hair and gain the new persona I have just to come all of this way to and quit. Sorry Ino, but that's not going to happen. But, don't worry… I haven't forgotten the fact that and your team save our asses in the Forest of Death. And I will repay my debt to you by keeping you safe and out of the Finals. I'm not going to run and hide anymore. I'm going to show everyone just how strong I've become… starting with you." Sakura glared while getting into her fighting stance.

Everyone was shocked by Sakura's words. They could tell that this wasn't the same Sakura that wouldn't even take the exam because she didn't believe in herself. No, they could see that she was growing up and finally maturing into a strong Kunoichi and they can foresee that she's only going to keep getting stronger and more serious. Today was the beginning of a new road for Sakura, and her teammates couldn't be prouder of her.

Ino on the other hand didn't take the news so well. Every cell in her body was twitching and showing said action by the way her tail and ears would move stiffly. "Fine! I'll just send you running home crying to your mommy! That's you ever do! You cry all the time like the big baby you are! And that's what Imma make you do… cry…!" Ino yelled before getting in her fighting position.

Genma could see that both girls were ready to fight. And when he gave the signal, the two girls went at each other like two animals.

Sakura and Ino ran towards each other, both looking to end this battle quickly. Sakura started out with a few punches and kicks. Ino block every one of them before trying to deliver some of her own. Ino went for a sweep, but Sakura flipped out of the way. She reached into her pouch and pulled out three kunai before throwing them at her opponent. Ino dodge the first one, grabbed the second on and used it to deflect the third one. Seeing that Ino was open, Sakura rushed at her. They began to go hand to hand combat again. Neither one of them were trying to do too much damage to the other. They figured that if they can knock the other out using just their taijutsu, then the battle would go much easier. After all… who would ever dream of severely hurting their former best friend.

The day Sakura ended their friendship because of their crush on Sasuke was the worst day of her life. She may not have shown it then, but she was really hurting on the inside. Ino had hoped that her crush on Sasuke wouldn't reach Sakura. The pink pig knew how her friend felt about him and she knew that she wanted Sasuke, but he wasn't worth messing up a good friendship. So the day she was confronted by Sakura, Ino didn't deny the fact that she liked the raven feline, but before she could even really tell Sakura how she felt, the white bunny ended their friendship and declared them rivals instead. That hurt the little piglet and caused her to run home crying. From that day on, she acted like Sakura's rival, even though she truly wanted to just go back to being her best friend. There were a few times where Ino was about to swallow her pride and just ask Sakura to be her friend again, but whenever that time would come, Sakura would act like a bitch and cause them to argue like cats and dogs, or in their case bunnies and pigs. Sometimes, at the rarest of times, Ino's mind would travel back in time and make her relive all the fun times her and Sakura would have. Like now.

While the two girls were fighting each other, Ino managed to land a hard blow to Sakura's stomach, causing the bunny girl to stumble back. This gave Ino a chance to attack. She was about to punch Sakura until a sudden picture of Sakura when she first smiled at Ino popped into her head. Her actions faltered at the last minute and she ended up smacking the pink haired girl instead, shocking everyone, even Sakura and herself.

They stared at each other in shock for a long time before Sakura stepped back a few feet. "Ino… ever since we were friends and in that Kunoichi class, I've always looked up to you, admired you even. You were the very person I tried to learn from. You set goals and expectations for me even back then and still now. That's why we are rivals. Not just because of Sasuke, but because I'm tired of just meet your level. I'm tired of being average when it comes to you… I'm tired of being known as the weaker rival between the two of us. No. I'm done being that way. From now on…" Sakura paused to reach up and undo her protector before snatching it off, shocking Ino greatly. "I'm going to surpass you…" Ino looked at Sakura as the white bunny held out her headband. "Do you remember what we said about these protectors? Well I do. I said that when I put this bandana on my forehead, then I was being serious. You said the same thing and well, Ino… I'm tired of pussy footing with you. No more kid gloves. No more light hits or being gentle with each other. We are Shinobi now, so it's time to start acting like it. But, tell Ino… Are you ready to become serious now?"

Ino thought the question over in her head. It's true that she didn't want to harm Sakura, but it's true that they are Shinobi and it was time to start acting like it. Ino knows that she can no longer be soft with Sakura. Now that she can see Sakura growing and changing every second to every minute, she realized that –if she wants to pass her bunny friend- then she has to be as strong and as hard as she is. No more of this kids stuff. It's time to get serious.

Ino smirked as she untied her protector and held it out in front of her. "Hell yes."

Both girls nodded before putting their protectors on their foreheads. Now, the show can begin.

"No more holding back." Ino stated.

"You should follow your own advice." Sakura smirked.

Once their protectors were on tight, they ran for each other and readied their fists. But, when they threw their punches, their fists connected with each other. They threw some more hits at each other, but neither one of them could land a hit. Sakura went to punch Ino again, but the pink pig grabbed the fist, lifted Sakura up by it, and threw her a few feet back. Sakura landed on all fours and used her hands and feet from going any further.

Everyone watched in excitement and surprise at the power the girls were now displaying since they switched the positions on their protectors. It was almost as if they were had become two different people. Naruto and Sasuke sat back against the wall and could see everything. They saw how fast the girls were moving and the amount of strength they were displaying. It shocked them. Both boys thought that Sakura and Ino were two stuck up, whinny bitches that did nothing except fight over Sasuke. Neither one of them knew that those same whinny bitches would be acting like this and displaying this amount of strength, especially against one another. Kakashi wasn't all that surprised though. He knew that this day would come sooner or later, he was just glad that he was able to witness it. He was proud for both girls for the impressive skills they were finally displaying.

"_Maybe this match was purposely made. Those two are what they needed to push themselves beyond their limits."_ Kakashi thought.

Sakura was the first to take off running. She made two Sakura clones.

"Do you really think you can defeat me with a basic jutsu? This isn't the graduation exam you know." Ino taunted.

She tried to focus on the real Sakura, but when all three of them started to gain speed, Ino was at a lost. The two shadow clones disappeared, giving the real Sakura the chance to strike. She punched Ino and sent her flying. The female pig flew, hit the ground hard, and kept rolling until she stopped. Ino grunted as she rose up and whipped some blood from her mouth.

"Any jutsu, even a basic one, can do a lot of damage if used correctly. Didn't you pay attention to that at the Academy?" Sakura teased.

"Sorry, but I must've missed that one because your giant head was in the way." Ino smirked.

"Shut up and how me what you got. If you don't, then I'll have to come at you again and win this fight unfairly. I thought we agreed we weren't holding back. You're taunting is child's play. I am not a child, so stop treating me like one." Sakura glared with her rabbit ears pinned back in anger.

"You want the tough stuff? Well here it is." Ino growled, her pointed ears pinned back in the same position.

Ino and Sakura rushed at each other. They threw shrunken, but they only deflected each other, so they settled for hand to hand combat. They fought it out and to their surprise, the battle was lasting for quite a while. Ten minutes to be exact. They kept throwing punches and kicks, marveling at how strong the other one is. They reeled their fists back before throwing their punches. The fists missed each other and landed on each girls' check, causing them to fly back a great distance from each other.

"What the hell is going on? This isn't how it's supposed to go! You're not supposed to be evenly matched with me!" Ino raved.

"You're right Ino. I can't surpass you in looks. You've been doing everything you can to make sure that you stay in perfect condition. I, on the other hand, have no use for that lifestyle anymore. I've been focusing on improving myself to care about petty things like my hair or my looks, but I can see that you're still just a child and still busy yourself with that shit. Now, who's the pathetic one." Sakura teased.

Ino growled at Sakura's statement as she pulled out a kunai. "I've had it up to here with you and that smart mouth of yours! I'm going to make you wish that you never entered these exams!" The pig girl yelled. She raised both her hands to her ponytail and used her kunai to cut it at the base of the ponytail. With the hair in her hands, she threw it towards Sakura as if it were trash. "See. I don't need that shit to defeat you. And no matter what you say, no matter what you think, and no matter how much you may change… I'll still be prettier and stronger than you."

Sakura growled while readying herself to attack. "We'll just see about that."

"I'm going to put an end to you Sakura, once and for all." Ino smirked while performing some hand signs.

Sakura ran to her, but stopped when something grabbed her feet. Looking down, she saw that it was … Ino's hair that had her trapped.

"What the hell? Why can't I move?" Sakura asked while struggling.

"Do you like it? It's a special rope made from a combination of my hair and my chakra. It's going to hold you in place while I do my Mind Transfer Jutsu and force you to forfeit. And with you tied up… there's no way I'll miss." Ino continued to smirk. She did everything needed to perform her jutsu. "Mind Transfer Jutsu!" She yelled.

"Oh no, Sakura you have to move!" Lee shouted.

But she didn't, both of their bodies fell limp, letting everyone know that Ino's jutsu had worked. While she was in Sakura's body, Ino had planned to carry out her plan like she wanted to. She allowed a smirk to grace her lips.

"Sorry Sakura, but… it looks like I've won." Ino raised her hand and began to speak. "I, Sakura Haruno, would like to say~"

"**NO SAKURA! DON'T DO IT! YOU'VE COME TOO FAR TO LOSE NOW! YOU CANNOT LOSE TO INO-PIG! YOU'RE BETTER THAN HER!" **Lee shouted.

"You're so freaking annoying. You're even worse than~" Ino didn't get a chance to finish her sentence when she was attacked by Inner Sakura. "What the hell is going on?"

A giant, transparent version of Sakura appeared, grabbed Ino, and began to squeeze her. _**"INO-PIG! IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF MY MIND RIGHT NOW, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN A WORLD OF HURT!" **_Inner Sakura growled while squeezing the girl.

Everyone was confused as to why 'Sakura' was grabbing her head and screaming in agony. Ino tried to hold on, but it was useless. To save herself, Ino released the jutsu and returned to her body.

At this point both girls were exhausted. Battles like this usually only last several seconds, but theirs lasted about twenty minutes. They barely had anything left, so they were going to put their all into one last attack. This will prove who's the strongest and the ultimate winner between them. This was their final showdown.

Both girls rose to their feet. Their breaths came out in long, breathless pants. They weren't steady on their feet, but they forced themselves to gain some ground. Once they were steady enough, both girls raced toward the other with their fists reeled back. They threw their punches and when they hit… they hit their cheeks again. Both had equal strength. The impact hit both girls hard and sent their bodies and their headbands flying. Everyone waited a few moments until Genma finally moved to make his judgment. He walked over to both girls before sighing.

"There is no winner. No one advances, so no one wins." The proctor declared.

Everyone gasped and mumbled their opinions while Kakashi and Asuma carried the two unconscious girls to the balcony. Lee, Shikamaru and Choji crowed around them.

"Don't worry. They're just sleeping. They'll wake up after a little while." Asuma smiled.

"For once… I'm glad to know that there's no winner. Just knowing that they're evenly matched and both equally strong is good enough for me." Kakashi nodded with a light smile.

Everyone moved away from the two in favor of watching Tenten fight Temari. While those two fought it out, Sakura and Ino started to wake up.

"Ino?"

"Sakura?"

They stared at each other before lowering their heads. "No one won… didn't they?" Sakura asked.

"No. It seems as though we managed to knock each other out. I must say Sakura… you have become stronger. It just sucks that we're evenly matched." Ino chuckled lightly.

"Yeah. No we'll never know who's better." Sakura sighed.

"You know… I think I'm actually ok with that. This tells us that we'll just have to try to push each other harder so that next year, there really will be a winner." Ino smiled.

"Yeah because next year… I'll be the winner." Sakura smirked.

"We'll see, Billboard Bunny Brow. We'll see. But, for now… how about we go back to being friends?"

Sakura's eyes widen at Ino's request. She would've never thought that her arch rival would ever ask for that of all things. But, Sakura has no intention of turning an offer down… she never did.

The two smiled as they shook their hands and smiled. The gasps of the crowd in front of them caught their attention. They crawled to the railing and saw that Tenten had been defeated by Temari and was unconscious. The only thing left was to see who was going to fight next.

"The next match will be between…" Genma stopped as the board continued to select. When it finally stopped, Naruto couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka."

"_Hn. Looks like it's my turn to show everyone what I'm made of." _The blond fox smirked.

…

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on 'Let's Only Try It Once'…**

The second part of the Preliminary Matches.


	16. The Preliminary Matches Part 2

**Warnings for this Chapter: **Nothing really.

**Author Shout Outs:**

_**Apollymi28:**_ I would like to give this fan a shout out for the great review they left me. Please keep reviewing and supporting me.

_**Guest:**_Now, I don't know who you are, but I wanted to give you a shout out for your review. I understand what you're saying about Sakura and Ino's fight. It took me a minute to write it and I was exhausted when I finally finished. But, the only reason I put it in there to show the only two times Sakura had a shining moment throughout the whole first series. These were the only two times I like Sakura because she wasn't useless. I want to so all my characters, even the ones I don't like, develop during my story. But, thank you for your review.

**Author Note:**

To anonymous reviewers, I love your reviews, but I would really appreciate it if you would start leaving a name so that I may thank you properly. You don't have to make a profile or even leave your real name. It can be something crazy. I just want something so that I don't get you confused with the other anonymous reviewers. Thanks again and I hope you continue to read my stories.

**Chapter 15: Preliminary Matches Pt. 2**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"The next match will be between…" Genma stopped as the board continued to select. When it finally stopped, Naruto couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "Naruto Uzumaki and Kiba Inuzuka."

"_Hn. Looks like it's my turn to show everyone what I'm made of." _The blond fox smirked.

Naruto unlaced their fingers and fixed Sasuke so that he would lean against the wall without falling before standing up.

"It's my turn to show you guys why I'll be the next Hokage." Naruto smirked as he punched his right fist into his left palm.

"Good luck out there, Naruto." Kakashi nodded to the fox.

"Hey dobe. Make sure you win. I want you to be in the Finals with me." Sasuke smirked.

"Don't you worry. I'll win and be back before Kakashi-sensei takes you to go get sealed up." Naruto grinned at his lover while giving him the thumbs-up.

"**HEY NARUTO! GET YOUR FOX ASS DOWN HERE SO THAT I CAN KICK IT UP AND DOWN THIS ARENA!" **Kiba yelled, earning his opponent's attention.

"Wow Kiba. I never knew someone so eager to get their ass kicked before. Hn. That only makes you look even more like an idiot, Dog Boy." Naruto smirked from his sitting position on the railing.

This got a major rise out of the Kiba and his canine companion, Akamaru. **"GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE YOU EAT THOSE WORDS!"**

"Naruto, stop teasing him and just get down there." Sakura said with a roll o her eyes.

Naruto rose to stand on the railing with grace only Sasuke knew he had. "Fine then Kiba. Let's see how well you can back your words up."

"Um Naruto…" He turned to his right, looked down and saw that Hinata was standing there with her fists in front of her face, ears slightly lowered, and her tail slowing swaying behind her. "I just wanted to wish you good luck." Naruto nodded at her words.

"**HINATA! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WISHING ME LUCK!"** Kiba whined.

"Thanks for wishing me good luck, but I don't need it because…" It was at that exact moment Naruto chose to jump off the railing. He flew a few feet before front flipping and landing on the ground in front of Kiba and Akamaru. He slowly stood up with a wide smirk, showing his long fangs, and an entertaining look in his blue eyes. _**"I'm not planning to lose."**_

"_**Neither are we."**_ Kiba smirked.

"Wow. They're practically one in the same, huh?" Sasuke stated.

"They're attitude and determination is one in the same, but their powers are on two different levels. You of people should know that, Sasuke." Kakashi smirked with his nose in his book but his eyes were trained on the contenders.

"I do know that. I was actually referring to the loudness in their voices. They could make anyone go deaf." Sasuke laughed before making his way over to the railing to get a better view of the fight.

"Hn. Isn't Akamaru against the rules? I mean two against one isn't exactly a fair fight." Naruto stated without his smirk disappearing.

"What's the matter? Scared that your chances are slimmer now?" Kiba teased.

"Of course not. I just didn't want to waste anymore of my time than I have to with a flea bitten mutt like you."

"_**I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GETTING THIS ATTITUDE FROM, BUT I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE TO KNOCK IT OUT OF YOU BEFORE THIS MATCH IS OVER!" **_ Kiba and Akamaru growled.

"Are you two ready?" Genma asked.

"Ready." The two replied as they stared each other down. Akamaru barked in response.

"The Fourth Preliminary Match will begin when I give the signal." He moved to stand on the stage in the front of the arena with the others. Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru backed up a little to give the other some space. Genma looked at both boys before raising his hand. "Begin!"

"**NARUTO UZUMAKI! YOU BETTER NOT LOSE TO THIS GUY! IF YOU DO… YOU'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH ME!"** Sakura yelled.

"Kiba… I just wanted to let you know that this fight between us will have nothing to do with which one of us will progress to the Finals… This is about my self-worth." Naruto said with his head lowered and his smirk gone.

"What the hell are you talking about, squirt?" Kiba asked in confusion.

"Do you remember, in the Academy? You, Shikamaru, and Choji were my only friends and all of you left me alone because your parents along with everyone else in this village were angry with and afraid of me. With you three, I felt like I was finally gonna be accepted by the village., the same village that I laid my life down and trained day in and day out to protect. But, when you three came to me and said that you could no longer be my friends because your parents were afraid that you'll be outcasts, did you stick up for me? Hell No. You left me without a second thought. And on top of that… you rubbed salt into my wounds be mocking me throughout my entire Academy career. You and everyone else in this village has done nothing, but doubted, disrespected, damage, and degrade me. But, today and every day after this…" Naruto reached into his pouch and grabbed three kunai and held them between his fingers. When he had a tight grip on them, Naruto raised his head to glare at Kiba. And, for the first time the match began… Kiba was terrified by the look in the blond's eyes. _**"I'm going to show you that this 'failure' will become the next… HOKAGE!"**_

Naruto threw his kunai at them, but Akamaru and Kiba flipped out of the way. Before they could even find their footing, Naruto was in front of them. He delivered a hard punch to Kiba's face. A small amount of blood squirted from Kiba's nose. Naruto then elbowed him in his stomach and when he hunched over from the pain in his stomach, Naruto grabbed Kiba's head, kneeled him in his face, and sent him flying back a little bit. Akamaru bit the bottom of Naruto's pants, but that it didn't faze him. Naruto only shook his leg harshly, when Akamaru finally let go Naruto kicked him hard and made him land over in Kiba's direction. His head was down, his blond bangs covered his evil blue eyes, and there was an equally evil sneer on his lips.

Everyone in arena gasped at the display. No one would've guest that Naruto would be even remotely this brutal in battle against someone from his own village. No one would've thought that Naruto would've had that kind of power either. He was right about their assumptions when it came to the fox boy. Most thought that Kiba would wrap this up before Naruto could even get a hit in, but obviously they were wrong. They remembered that Naruto wasn't the strongest, smartest or best academy student, but he was the most determined. They actually thought that he wouldn't even get out of the academy. Imagine their surprise when they found out that the fox carrier had actually graduated. Most of the village will admit that they were guilty of Naruto's accusations, but they never realized how much of a toll that took on the blond boy. They only just saw him as the smiling idiot he's always been. They never knew what lied behind that smile. Only Sasuke did, but it wasn't like the raven feline was going to tell anyone.

As for Sasuke, he was scared of what this battle might do to Naruto. The memory of the face that Naruto made and the raw power he displayed when they were fighting Orochimaru still scared the hell out of him and that's what he was afraid would happen this time. He was actually afraid for Kiba's life. He knew that the effect of how the villagers treat Naruto takes a heavy toll on his lover, but now that he was finally in a position where he can be the one to beat up someone who's beat him… he's afraid that Naruto might become ravenous and abuse this opportunity. Despite his condition, Sasuke feared that if things got too hairy then he would have to be the one to call Naruto back to his gentle self and away from the monster he's turning into.

Naruto's claws were erect and when he clenched them into tight fists, they cut into his palms and allowed the blood to drip onto the floor.

"_**Hn. Is that it? Come on Kiba, I thought you'd put up a better fight than this. I see that you really are more bark than bite."**_ Naruto said.

Kiba and Akamaru both made painful noises as they struggled to their feet. "I see that you've changed since the academy, Naruto. You've defiantly gotten stronger. I can see that I can't play around with you in this. You're serious."

"_**I've been serious. It's just time you and everyone else sees how serious I really am. No more pushing me around. If I'm going to be Hokage, then I have to start standing up for myself. I can't hide anymore. I have to be a man and learn to stand on my own two feet. If I can't do that, then how can I lead Konoha into the future?"**_

The harsh tone in his voice made anyone think that Naruto turned into this mean person, but Sasuke knew the truth. He knew that Naruto was only pissed at the village for their treatment and was taking it out on Kiba. Naruto really isn't this kind of person, but when you have so much anger and fear built up inside of you… no one could hold onto it forever. Either they'd have to let it go or let it out… and right now Sasuke's scared that Naruto is going to let it all out on Kiba and kill him.

"You speak so much of this Hokage dream you have, but tell me Naruto… What will happen after I defeat you today. You're going to give up and run away? Are you still going to show us what you're made? You think you're so arrogant because you got a few lucky shots on Akamaru and me? Well Imma tell you something… **YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYMORE!**" Kiba roared as they rushed at him.

Naruto stood perfectly calm. Kiba reeled his fist back and was about to hit Naruto, but the blond fox caught it an inch away from his face. Kiba struggled to get his fist free from Naruto's iron grip. When he realized he couldn't, Kiba aimed his other fist at Naruto, but he caught that one too and held on tight. With his strength, Naruto spread their arms out before throwing his head forward and head-butting Kiba. The dog man howled in pain and used his, recently, freed hands to hold his bleeding and throbbing head. Naruto took the opportunity to do round house kick his dizzy opponent to the ground.

Kiba flew backwards while Akamaru flew forwards. He jumped onto Naruto and started clawing at his face. Naruto struggled to get the dog off his face as Kiba got up and reached into his pouch.

"Hold him right there, Akamaru."

Kiba ran towards Naruto with purple balls in his hand. When Naruto was finally able to get Akamaru off of him, Kiba had already covered them in purple smoke. While they were in there, Kiba kept attacking Naruto relentlessly. Naruto knew that he had to get out. In that smoke, almost of his senses were thrown off. If he wanted to gain the upper hand again, then he'll have to get out. But, when he was able to emerge from the smoke, Akamaru jumped on him and pushed him back into the smoke.

"**NARUTO! YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THERE, NARUTO!" **Sakura yelled.

"**COME ON NARUTO! YOU CAN DO THIS NARUTO!" **Sasuke cheered.

After a few seconds the smoke cleared with only Akamaru and Kiba standing. Naruto was lying on the ground. Everyone looked down in shock. One minute Naruto was kicking the crap out of Kiba and now he was lying on the floor in defeat.

"Hn. I see that you did get stronger, but you still can't defeat me. Better luck next time. Come here Akamaru and let's celebrate our victory." Kiba said as he squatted down and held out his arms. The dog ran to his owner, but when he got there Akamaru bit Kiba and shocked everyone. "What are you doing, Akamaru?" Kiba asked while shaking his arm. The white dog let go of his owner, jumped on his face, clawed at it, and used it to push the boy down before landing a few feet away. "What's gotten into you?"

"_**You should really open your eyes, mutt."**_ Smoke appeared and two Narutos emerged with smirks on their faces. The real Naruto had his arms crossed while the clone held Akamaru captured.

Kiba had to rub his eyes twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "How did you~"

"Simple. I used a transformation jutsu along with a cloning jutsu. Or are you too blinded by your odor to see anything. By the way… when was the last time you bathed? Akamaru smells and probably tastes better than you. I'll have to go home and disinfect my mouth now."

"You can insult my hygiene, spout all this nonsense about you becoming Hokage, but one thing you will not do is win this battle." At that moment, Kiba reached into his pouch and pulled out two pills. "If I were you… I'd let Akamaru go." He smirked as he feed one of the pills to the dog while taking one himself.

"Huh?"

Suddenly, Akamaru's fur started to turn completely red. He used his back legs to jump off of Naruto's clone, dispelling it, and onto Kiba's back.

"_**Now… you're going to die… Beast Human Clone!"**_

He performed the jutsu and suddenly Akamaru changed into Kiba and was even talking like him.

"What the hell did you just take?!" Naruto yelled.

"_**They're called food pills. When taken, they give a Shinobi the ability to fight for three days and night without a break and they also increase your chakra levels. You should really be scared now… Naruto… Akamaru, let's do it!"**_

The two rushed at Naruto with their claws erect and a killer instinct in their eyes. Naruto is strong, but he doesn't think he can handle two hyped up wild dogs attacking him at once. For the first time during this battle… Naruto felt a little scared for his life.

"**YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THERE NARUTO!" **Sasuke screamed.

Naruto didn't have time to do so. He was too busy dodging each attack the two beasts were throwing at him. One rushed at him from the ground while the other ran along the wall before jumping at him. Naruto was having a hard time dodging each attack. They were relentless and coming too fast. Naruto was at a lost. He didn't see a way to win in sight.

"_Come on Naruto. You have to think of a way to win." _Sasuke communicated.

"_I know I have to, but I don't exactly see a way __**to **__win here. Wanna help me out, babe?"_

"_Stop calling me that. But, if you want my help, then you're going to have to figure out a way to wind him down and find an opening that will allow you to attack. Now as to how you do that, I don't know." _Sasuke suggested.

"_Thanks babe. I think I can handle it from here."_

"_Keep calling me that and we'll see when the next I'll let you~"_

Naruto cut off the connection before Sasuke could finish his sentence. He took Sasuke's words into consideration. With each attack, Naruto evaluated his options and tried to find an opening. He couldn't see one and the next attack was coming soon. Both Kiba and Akamaru dived low, making Naruto jump high in the air and trapped him that way.

"_**Now I've got you! Fang Wolf Fang!"**_

The two began to spin rapidly as they flew at Naruto. The blond fox screamed in pain as he felt their claws tore at his clothes, flesh and fur. The screaming stopped when he fell from the ground and onto the floor, practically motionless. Kiba stood with Akamaru at his side. Everyone in the balcony stared at Naruto with wide, worried eyes.

"Is that all you got? What happened to that strength and power you had at the beginning of the fight? Huh? You've done nothing but boast and brag about how you're going to become Hokage, but you're too weak to even be considered on their level. Hell I have a better chance at becoming Hokage. You know what? I think I might. Yeah I should be Hokage to show you that you don't deserve it!" Kiba laughed.

No one said a word. They were all thinking that Kiba was wrong. They knew that no one deserved to be the next Hokage expect for Naruto. He strived to earn that title. He would do everything he could to show the world that he was going to be the strongest ninja alive. He had to. After all, other than Kyuubi, Naruto was the only one who believed in himself. Once Sasuke came along, he had one more supporter. That's all he thought he needed. Once he realized that he had people cheering him on and more people were starting to believe in him, that boosted his confidence and it made him want to become even stronger. That's why he had to win here. He had to show everyone exactly who he was and the power he was going to use to make his dreams come true.

"_Get up Naruto. Please, Naruto… You have to get up. You can't lose here. You can't lose ever!"_ Sasuke yelled through their communication channel.

Kiba continued to laugh, but stopped when he saw Naruto struggle to stand up. The blond rose onto his elbows, then to his knees and finally his feet. He was standing tall on his own, shaky, two legs.

"_**Sorry Kiba, but you can forget about being Hokage. That's my dream and no one's going to take it away from me. And you wanna know why…? It's because… I'm top dog around here no, so bow down to me." **_He smirked while using the back of his sleeve to whip the blood away from his face.

"Oh yeah? Well we'll see whose top dog around here when we're through." Kiba grinned.

He and Akamaru ran towards Naruto. In Kiba's hand was another set of purple smoke balls. The smoke covered Naruto and gave the two dogs to an opportunity to use their Fang Wolf Fang. Naruto allowed himself to get hit before putting his plan in motion. When the smoke cleared and everything calmed down, there were three Kibas standing.

"So you decided to turn into me, huh? That's clever, but it won't work. I can sniff you out." The brunette smirked as he punched one of the Kibas. He flew back, but when he hit the ground Akamaru was reviled. Confused by this, Kiba turned around and angrily growled at the other Kiba with his fists clenched. "So you're the one fucking with my head!" He yelled as he punched the other Kiba. But when that Kiba fell to the floor another Akamaru appeared and was lying motionless on the ground. "What the hell?"

The first Akamaru that appeared got up, ran towards Kiba and used his legs to knock Kiba back.

"_**Remember when I said you were blinded by your odor, I wasn't lying." **_Naruto smirked as he reappeared from his dog form.

"_Wow. I knew Naruto was strong, but not that strong. It makes me wonder what he learned during that month I was gone." _Sasuke smirked to himself, feeling confident that his lover had this battle wrapped up.

"I will admit that you've gotten a lot stronger and smarter since you left the academy, but it still won't be enough to defeat me." Kiba stood up and reached for some shurikens in his pouch. "This last attack will put you to sleep _**permanently**_."

"We'll see about that. I still have one more attack up my sleeve." Naruto said he moved to release another jutsu.

Kiba stood still as he threw his shuriken at Naruto. The blond dodged them, allowing Kiba to focus on an opening.

"Now I've got you, Four Legged Technique!" Kiba yelled.

He ran towards Naruto on all fours. He jumped up and readied himself to bring his claws down. Naruto was ready. He let Kiba dig his claws into his arm before punching him in the face, body slamming him into the ground, and jumping back.

"Now it's my turn, Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He called out, creating four Narutos suddenly. "You and everyone else pushed me around too long. With this attack… I promise to never let that happen again!"

One of the cloned Narutos rushed at a stunned Kiba and punched him in the face. That same clone bent down and allowed the real Naruto to jump off his back and into the air. The other clones attacked Kiba for a while before kicking him upwards to where the real Naruto was spinning around in a ball. When Kiba was right where he needed to be, Naruto came out of his ball, bringing his foot with him.

"**UZUMAKI BARRAGE!" **He yelled when he kicked Kiba into the ground.

Naruto panted as he dismissed his clones and flipped away from Kiba's unconscious form.

Genma walked over and examined Kiba and Akamaru before making his decision. "Kiba and Akamaru can no longer compete. Naruto Uzumaki is the winner."

Upon hearing the verdict, Naruto fell on his butt and leaned back on his arms with a smile on his face. He had won his first match and now all he has to do is win his second one. That meant that there was only a few more steps before he could finally achieve his one true dream… being Hokage. But, first things first… He had to go make sure that Sasuke went to go get sealed by Kakashi.

On easy, steady legs, Naruto made his way to the balcony where Sakura and Lee congratulated him first. He went over to Sasuke, who was still leaning against the railing, and squatted next to him.

"Glad to see that you came back alive. Although, I'm a little pissed that you stole my Lion's Barrage." Sasuke teased.

"Like you said. I didn't steal it, I improved it." Naruto smirked back.

"Well done Naruto. I'm proud that you've won your match, especially against someone as wild as Kiba." Kakashi smiled.

"I must agree, Naruto. It's good that I had an opportunity to see the major improvements you've made since you left my classroom." They turned their heads to see Iruka approaching them.

Naruto stood up with a little blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. "Thanks Iruka-sensei."

"Ah, Iruka. It's nice to see you again. It's been a while." Kakashi flirted as he moved closer.

"It's only been a few minutes." Iruka said in a nervous tone.

"Yes, but since we didn't really talk, it didn't really count." Kakashi answered.

"Yes well~"

Iruka's sentence was cut short when Naruto and Sasuke cleared their throats.

"Right, sorry. Well Sasuke a deal's a deal. It's time to go." Kakashi said.

Sasuke nodded and with Naruto's help was hoisted onto his sensei's back. "He'll be alright, right Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Of course. The process will be short and I'll come get you two when it's done. Be sure to watch the other matches and look at how they fight. You never know who's going to be your opponent in the Finals."

"I will." Naruto nodded at his current sensei's words.

Kakashi nodded to Iruka before taking off with Sasuke on his back.

"So, how do you feel?" Iruka asked.

Naruto sighed as he sat on the floor while leaning on his arms. "I've been in worse shape. I'll survive." Naruto smiled.

"Um… Naruto…?"

The blond turned to see Hinata standing next to him. He was confused as to why she was there. She kneeled beside him and shot out her arms with her head lowered. This confused Naruto even more until he looked at her palms. In them, was a small brown jar with green stuff in it. Naruto took it from her and held it up to look at it.

"What's this?"

Hinata tried to answer, but she was stuttering too much to get it out. Iruka decided to help her out. "It's ointment, Naruto. Hinata must've made it for you, right Hinata?"

"Um… yes. I thought it would help heal you faster." She blushed.

Naruto looked at it some more before gripping it in his hands and smiling. "Thank you Hinata." He kept smiling as he patted her on the head.

"Oi, Naruto look. The next match has been decided ." Iruka nodded.

"The next contestants are… Shikamaru and Kin Tsuchi…" Genma announced.

…

…

…

During the match, Naruto applied the ointment that Hinata gave him to all his wounds. Shikamaru's match was long over. He had won, but Naruto wasn't really paying attention. He had other things to think about. One of those things had to do with why he could no long communicate with Kyuubi. He called out to the demon multiple times, but he hasn't gotten one response. He started to get worried. He wondered if it had something to do with what Orochimaru did to him. Whatever he did, Naruto had to figure out a way to fix it and fix it soon. This is the longest he's been without hearing the demon's voice and, dare he say it… he actually missed it.

Soon the matches were coming to an end. So far they have eight people competing in the Finals. Those eight were: Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, Zaku, Kankuro, Temari, and… Gaara… The battle between him and Rock Lee was the most brutal of them all. Now everyone could see why he and his team managed to complete the Forest of Death within one day. Because of that sand, Gaara was practically untouchable. Lee managed to land no more than three hits on the brick haired raccoon dog, but in the end… Genma and Guy had to end the match when Gaara used his sand to break both Lee's left leg and right arm. Everyone stood in stunned silence as Gaara walked away from the arena and left Lee on the ground, withering in pain. He was in the emergency room now. Everyone, especially Sakura hoped the green ninja recovered soon and successfully.

"Alright everyone, it seems that everyone has competed except for Neji and Hinata Hyuga. Once their battle is over, Lord Hokage will give the next instructions, so do not go anywhere." Genma announced before motioning Hinata and Neji to the arena. "Will both Hyugas please step into the arena."

Neji didn't say anything as he pocketed his hands and made his way to the stairs close to Naruto and Hinata. But, when he came close to them, he glared hard at Hinata even as he passed. The timid mouse scooted closer to Naruto who returned Neji's glare.

"Don't worry Hinata. I believe in you. You can beat this guy. You just have to believe in yourself too." Naruto smiled.

Hinata was taken back by this. Not only was her crush encouraging her, but he offered one of the most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. It seemed like that was all she needed to give her the nerve to take on her cousin, victory or defeat.

"Thank you, Naruto. I'll do my best." She nodded before standing up and taking the same route as her older cousin.

They stood face to face. Neji glared harder as he practically choked on the fear she was giving off.

"Hn. It's pathetic." That caught Hinata's attention. "The amount of fear you're giving off. You might as well retreat now and save us some time." Neji sneered with his arms crossed.

"**DON'T LISTEN TO HIM HINATA! YOU GOT THIS! YOU CAN BEAT HIM!"** Naruto cheered.

"Naruto's right… I won't turn and run. I will fight and show you that I can be strong too. I will not embarrass our clan anymore." She glared back, moving to stand in a more confident pose.

"Hn. It's too late for that, but it's your defeat. I guess I could use some exercise anyway." Neji narrowed his eyes further as he moved to stand in his attacking position.

Genma raised his hand, looked at the two contestants, and lowered his hand to start the match. "Begin!"

"Byakugan!" Neji yelled, allowing thick veins to form on the side of his head. "I can see… everything Hinata. I can see your fear, your bitter past, and how you view the outcome of this battle. If you believe that this is right… then you need to forfeit now."

"I won't run… not anymore. I entered these exams to see if I had changed… It's time I put it to the test." She glared before activating her Byakugan. "You don't scare me anymore, Neji."

"Oh really? Well, let's see how scared you are of me when I'm done with you."

"Depend yourself, my brother." Hinata glared before rushing at the brunette.

Both relatives rushed at each other with their Byakugans activated. Hinata was the first one to throw out her hand. Neji used both arms to block the attack, but the force threw him back a little. He didn't have time to find his footing while defending himself against his mouse cousin's relentless attacks. Everyone watching this match watched in amazement as the wind whipped around each other. Neji was the main on defense while Hinata unleashed multiple attacks at lightning speed. In between Hinata's attacks, Neji found several openings to use and attack his cousin. Both teens were dodging each other's attacks as much as they were dishing them out, until an opening for Hinata presented itself.

The raven haired mouse saw the perfect opening and went to take it. She moved Neji's defending hand out of the way before reaching for his chest. But, right when she was about to attack, Neji caught her and hit her in her chest instead. Hinata gasped as blood began to leak out of the sides of her mouth. Everyone was shocked by this. They all saw Hinata hit Neji, but the brunette seemed to be unharmed.

"Is this the extent of the Main Mouse Branch?" Neji glared.

"I'm not done yet." Hinata said weakly.

She moved the arm in front of her out of the way and went to attack him again, but Neji countered it jabbed two fingers into her left arm. Hinata's eyes went wide in confusion at what just happened. Her eyes widened more and her ears lowered when Neji lifted her jacket's sleeve to revile red marks all over her arm.

"You mean… this whole time…"

"That's right Hinata, I have. While we were attacking each other, I was purposely hitting your chakra points and controlling your chakra. Don't you remember what I said at the beginning? It is your defeat, sister." Neji smirked with his clawed hand still on her arm.

He slowly released her arm before reeling his back and hitting her square in her chest. With the force behind the snow leopard's hit. Hinata flew back a few feet and hit the ground hard. Her small and weakened body shook and rattled with pain and slight fear. With as much strength as she could muster, Hinata rolled over while painting in an attempt to catch her breath.

"Are you finally seeing it, sister? This was the destined outcome you were supposed to face when you decided not to back down like I warned you. I am way out of your league and that will never change nor will it ever become untrue." Neji glared as he stared down at his panting, weak cousin. "Hn, just looking at you in this pathetic state almost makes me feel somewhat sorry for you… almost. Why don't you just give up now, Hinata? You and I both know that continuing this fight will only be humiliating and painful for you. And besides… I do not understand how you think you can win when the only thing pushing you is your false hope. If only your Byakugan was as strong as mine. Maybe then you would have taken my advice instead of being on the floor withering in pain." Hinata didn't move from her position, causing Neji to sigh and pocketed his hands. "You're such a failure Hinata."

Those five words struck a nerve within the purple haired mouse. They were words that she had heard her whole life coming from her father , family and even herself so it shouldn't bother her. But, when she got called that in front Naruto –the boy she's been in love with for years- it struck her deeper this time. So, she nervously turned towards Neji with wide eyes.

"What did you just say?" She timidly asked.

"Did you not hear me, or did I damage the chakra in your ears as well? I said that you're a failure. You, I, your father, my father, and everyone else in our clan know that you are a failure as a ninja. Based on your personality and the fact that you do not like to fight, I would say you're more suited for being a housewife and baring your mate's children instead of being on the field. But, there's one problem with that lifestyle… I cannot see any strong mate picking _**you**_ as their mate. You are too weak. If they have to leave to go on a mission, they would not trust you to guard the house and your young. I do not see any person thinking you worthy enough to even survive the painful experience of child birth… What a pity. And that seemed to be the lifestyle most fitting for someone as weak as you. Hn. Maybe it just best if you lay down and die already. It will save you the trouble of going through more pain in your life. I am not trying to sound mean, sister. I am just giving you facts that will benefit you in the future and save you from your terrible fate destiny has laid out for you." Neji spoke in an uncaring and harsh voice.

Hinata took in Neji's words as her head and ears lowered. Her short purple bangs covered her sad eyes. She knew, deep down that what her cousin/brother had said was true. She knew she was weak and she knew that she was a failure. But, those were thoughts she had in the beginning. When she first entered these exams, she was surprised she passed the second portion. She knew that Kiba and Shino would pass with flying colors because they were so much stronger than her. But, during the whole five days they were in the Forest of Death, her two teammates only cheered her own and encouraged her to keep going when she wanted to give up. The doubting voice in the back of her head began to tell her that they were only cheering her on so that they could move on the next round, but a stronger voice rose above that and told her that they wanted her to keep going because they believed in her, just like Naruto said he believed in her. And there was no way she was going to show that she's weak in front of him or let her team down that she's come so far.

With this resolve in her head, Hinata began to stand on shaky legs. Neji was a little surprise to see her rise up, but he just shrugged it off and chalked it up to her wanting to give up. His suspicions were denied when he saw the fierce look in her eyes and how strong she was standing in her fighting stance.

"You may say I am weak and you may mock me. It's alright. I know I'm weaker than you and the rest of the other Shinobi here, but that does not mean that I will not give up. I may lose to you and to anyone else I come across, but I will still fight and try my hardest to win. To you, having people believing in you is meaningless. But, to me it gives me the courage I need to continue on and be the best at being a ninja. Neji, you may win this fight, in fact I'm almost positive that you will. But, you will not win this fight with me lying down. I will stand against you and everyone else in my way because that is my ninja way. No matter how many battles I lose or how many opponents I lose against. I will still stand tall and I will still fight until my very last breath." She glared hard at her shocked opponent.

"**YEAH YOU TELL HIM, HINATA! YOU GOT THIS! YOU CAN WIN!" **Naruto cheered from up in the balcony.

"_Hinata… You really have come a long way… I'm proud."_ Kurenai smiled as she stared down at her student with proud red eyes.

Neji was taken aback by the strength within Hinata's words. He had never thought his cousin would have this sort of determination. He was still waiting on her to give up, but now he sees that she wasn't even contemplating the idea. Realizing that his cousin was not going to heed his warning and listen to him, Neji took his hands out of his pockets and readied himself to fight once more.

"If you want to continue that's fine, but I will not go easy on you. You will lose this battle and it would be your fault." He glared.

"It wouldn't be my fault. It would be my decision."

Right as soon as she said that, Hinata grabbed her chest. She could feel her heart racing and still injured from when Neji had hit it. This wasn't good. Realizing that his cousin was still weak, Neji smirked and knew that this match was as good as over.

"_Please be careful, Hinata. If you get hit one more time… then that would be the end."_ Kurenai pleaded silently.

"Well what are you waiting for. Bring it on." Neji stated.

Hinata only nodded slightly before running towards her opponent. She knew that Neji had basically cut off all of her chakra channels, so she can't use her gentle fists but she would continue to fight him. They were now engaging in hand to hand combat. Hinata was mostly on the defensive while trying to attack. She knew that her attacks wouldn't be as effective as Neji's, but that doesn't mean that they won't affect him. They continued to fight like this for a while until found and opening and hit her in her jaw. That knocked Hinata back a few feet, but she was able to find her footing quickly. Neji knew that with this last hit he was preparing, that Hinata was going down for good. Hinata knew it too.

She knew that she was going to lose, but in her eyes she didn't lose. She showed everyone watching her today that she was not longer a quitter or someone who was going to lie down and die when no one believed in her. She decided today that from now on… if no one believed in her, then she would believe in herself. Despite her losing this match, the once quiet little mouse girl was satisfied with showing Naruto and everyone watching that she could be tough and continue on as well. And that was good enough for her.

So, with all of her strength, Hinata Hyuga ran towards her opponent with and attack readied. But, when she reached him, Neji countered it, hit Hinata in her chest again, and made her pale lips red with more blood. The purple haired girl moaned in pain before falling to the floor, unconscious to the world.

"**HINATA?!" **Naruto screamed.

"This match is over." Neji said as he stared down at his cousin's defeated form. He began to walk away, but stopped when he heard someone laughing. He looked up and saw the blond fox chuckling from the balcony. "What's so funny?" The brunette glared.

"I don't know about you but, I don't think this match is over." Naruto smirked.

"What are you talking about, you idiot. Can't you see that Hinata is done for?" Sakura pointed out.

Naruto only continued to smirk as he shook his head and pointed to the 'unconscious' girl on the ground. Hinata's body began to move on its own and slowly stood up.

"Hinata, what are you doing? Stay down. That's enough." Kurenai ordered, but her student wasn't listening.

"Why won't you stay down?! You've lost! Why do you continue to fight when you can barely stand?!" Neji yelled angrily.

"It's because I refuse to look bad in front of the people who believed in me from the beginning. I won't let them down." She smiled while holding her left arm.

"So you think that continuing this fight will please them? You are suffering not only from this exam but from the responsibility of being the heiress to the Main Mouse Branch. If you quit now, then so will your suffering. But, if you don't… you will die." Neji stated with a hint of worry in his voice.

"You're wrong, brother. For it is you who is suffering more than me. I can see the hatred and jealousy in your eyes. You wished you were born to the Main Mouse Branch instead of the Snow Lion Side Branch. It's no secret. You wish you were the heir instead of me, don't you?"

"Shut up! You know nothing of me!" The snow lion yelled in frustration before running towards Hinata.

But, before he could get to her, Guy, Iruka, Kurenai, and Genma were there to stop him. "That match is over, Neji. You've won." The sloth man calmly stated.

"_**Why are you three interfering? This does not concern you. Or are you letting that pathetic excuse of an heiress get special treatment?"**_ Neji growled.

"Let it go, Neji. You promised me that this clan stuff wouldn't affect you." Guy grunted while holding his student.

Suddenly, everyone turned around when they heard Hinata's body hit the ground.

"**HINATA?!"** Everyone yelled.

Naruto, Sakura, and Shino all jumped down and ran over to her as Kurenai moved to turn her onto her back.

"Are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine."

"You fought every well today." Sakura stated. Shino nodded in agreement.

"Thank you. You two also fought bravely."Hinata smiled weakly before finally becoming unconscious.

"Someone! Get the Med-Nin in here! Hinata needs help yesterday!" Kurenai commanded.

Soon a team of Med-Nin came and carried Hinata away. Naruto watched with angry eyes as his friend was carried away before turning to the person responsible.

"_**How dare you hurt your cousin/sister like that? She's your family and you should be cheering her on, not trying o kill her over some stupid clan issues." **_Naruto glared.

"You know nothing of our clan and of its issues, so be a good failure and stay out of business that does not concern you." Neji argued.

"_**You're right. I don't know what your clan is going through, but I do know that family should treat others with respect and love them. You should feel honored to have Hinata in your family. She's very strong and determined, but you only laughed and called her weak. For that… I'll make sure you pay when I see you in the Finals."**_ Naruto growled out through long, sharp fangs.

"Losing to someone like you is not in my destiny. I plan on winning in the Finals, and there's no way you'll be able to stop me. You say how hopeful Hinata was and she ended up losing to me in the end. The fate will befall upon you if you face me in the Finals."

"_**We'll see about that."**_ Naruto smirked as he and Neji stared each other down for several minutes.

It was Neji who turned around and began walking away with Guy-sensei. Naruto stood completely still and watched as he walked away.

"Man, what a jerk. If you do face him in the Finals, promise me you'll win and show him whose boss." Sakura asked.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I'll make sure he goes down." He smiled before returning to glare at Neji's back. "Even if it is the last thing I do."

Everyone within the arena was silent until Lord Hokage cleared his throat. "Well, now that the match is over and we have our winners, I call these Preliminary Matches to a close. The Shinobi that will be progressing to the Finals will be Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, Kankuro, Gaara, Temari, Shikamaru Nara, Shino Aburame, and Zaku. These nine will progress to the Finals and will be randomly selected, just like the matches here. In the Finals you will be displaying your skills for the audience that will be watching you. You will have a month from now to get as much training and/or healing as you need for these Finals. Another suggestion I have is for you to study your opponents, all of them since you won't know who you'll be fighting. This month will be used for you to learn some new techniques and jutsus while also getting to know those around you. If you do not utilize this time, then you will certainly be defeated in a short time frame. Now are there any questions?" The monkey Hokage asked while smoking on his pipe.

"Yes, I have one. Since the Finals will be just like a tournament, will there only be one person who will become a Chunin?" Shikamaru asked.

"No. In fact it's quite the opposite. You eight plus Sasuke will be judge by several people including myself. These judges will be evaluating your skills and the way you handle yourself in the heat of battle, but it will run just like a tournament. But, do not get discouraged. Even if you were to lose your match, there is a possibility that you can still become a Chunin." Lord Hokage explained.

"So, basically all nine of us will get the chance to become a Chunin?" Temari asked.

"That is correct. But, there is also a chance that none of you will become a Chunin. It all ready depends on the judges' decision." The old monkey stated.

"So basically, this exam would be considered time wasting then?" Kankuro questioned.

"Not entirely. As far back as I can remember, there was only one Chunin Exam where none of the genin passed, but that was many decades ago. Now, ever since that exam, there has been at least one genin that passed these exams. That is because the more battles they see you display your skills in and how much you progress onward in the Finals will be the deciding factor. But, like I said, even if you lose you can still possibly become a Chunin."

"If what you've just said is true, then why can't we know who we're fighting now? I mean, wouldn't that allow us to train better, Lord Hokage?" Neji asked.

" The answer is no for a few reason. Reason one: since you will not just be fighting one opponent, you will need to hone your skills so that you will be ready for whomever you will be facing as you progress throughout the Finals. And the second reason has to do with the fact that not knowing who you will be fighting will allow you train harder and prepare yourself for anything that is thrown your way. If I told you who you would be fighting, then you would study that person the most so that you can get past the first round, but you won't be ready for whoever you will have to fight against in the next rounds. Do you understand?" Everyone nodded. "Good, now we are adjourned until next month. I hope to see you all come out showing your country's pride and bringing new skills as well as techniques with you."

Everyone waited until Lord Hokage was finished talking before heading to the exit of the arena. Everyone, except for Naruto that is. He remained where he was and stood there, thinking. He was thinking about training for the Finals, the finals, defeating Neji, hoping that Lee and Hinata were ok, and wondering what's taking Kakashi-sensei so long.

When he felt a hand on his shoulder, Naruto tensed a little. He turned his head to see the worried look of Iruka-sensei.

"Are you ok?" Iruka asked.

"I'm fine. Just thinking." Naruto sighed with his ears and tail lowered.

"You've come a long way. I'm proud and honored that I am here to see how much you have grown. I'm glad that Kakashi is taking care of you nicely." The dolphin man smiled, causing Naruto to smile back softly. "I'll have to remember to thank him."

"_**How about you thank me now."**_ Both males turned their heads to see that said wolf popped up just now. "Yo."

"What took you so long? Is Sasuke ok?" Naruto asked.

"Sorry. I ran into a little bit of trouble. But don't worry, everything is fine now. Come on. He's waiting for us." Kakashi said as he ushered them to the room where Sasuke was sleeping soundly.

…

…

…

Kakashi led them to a secluded hospital room where the curtains were closed and Sasuke was hooked up to several machines. A pain in Naruto's heart ached as he stared at his lover, lying helpless on the hospital bed. The blond fox made his was over his raven feline and looked upon his weaken body with sad eyes.

Naruto wanted to touch Sasuke so bad, but he was too afraid of breaking him. He looked so frail and weak under those blankets. Naruto had already vowed to protect Sasuke, but after seeing him like this… he swore he would never allow him to look this way ever again.

"Dobe…?" Sasuke weakly said, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Hey." The blond fox smiled softly. "How you feeling?"

"I've been better. How are you? Your too badly injured from your fight, right?" Sasuke asked.

"No, I'm fine. Hinata gave me some ointment to try. It worked really well." Naruto said while showing off said green ointment.

"Good because you're going to have to be the one taking care of me until I'm completely healed." The raven feline joked, causing both of them to laugh.

Kakashi stared his two students in awe and sincere happiness. He was glad two boys who were alone in this giant world were able to come together and support each other the way these two do. Deciding to give them their privacy, Kakashi leaned over to speak in Iruka's ear.

"I think we should let them be for now, don't you?" Iruka nodded at Kakashi's statement. "Iruka-sensei and I are going to go out for some lunch. We will be back within the hour." Naruto and Sasuke only nodded before returning to their conversation.

The two Junín walked out of the room. "You're taking me to lunch?" Iruka smirked as he watched Kakashi close the door quietly.

"This is your way of thanking me, by going on a lunch date with me." Kakashi smirked under his mask while walking away with his hands in his pockets.

Behind him a stunned Iruka remained before he straightened himself up and folded his arms. "I knew there was a catch to it." He sighed.

"Hurry up, Iruka. Although I want this date to last forever, my stomach is aching for food now." The happy wolf sung.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming you perverted wolf." Iruka blushed as he followed his 'date' out of the hospital's doors.

…

…

…

**Back in the Room with Sasuke and Naruto**

"So, who are all the people we're competing against in the Finals?" Sasuke asked. Naruto began his tale of what Sasuke missed after they parted ways, but what he elaborated the most on were the fights between Gaara and Lee and Hinata and Neji. "So, Neji and that Gaara kid are a lot stronger than I thought."

"Yeah, but it's Gaara I'm worried about the most. I think that kid might be the hardest to defeat. I mean, who knew he could turn sand into a dangerous weapon like that? I'm really worried about Bushy Brows. I heard from the Med-Nin that took him away that Gaara did so much damage to his left arm and leg that he may never be a ninja again. Just the screams and images from that battle still makes my blood run cold." Naruto stated with a light shiver.

"Hn. Don't tell me you're scared." Sasuke teased.

"I'm not terrified of him if that's what you mean. I'm just worried about if I'll be able to beat him. He's practically untouchable with that sand always protecting him. I wonder how you even get around that. Lee only just got lucky because he's fast, but anyone else would be killed before they even get close to him." Naruto said while shaking his head.

Sasuke grunted a little as he tried to move his hand. Naruto watched in confusion until he saw that Sasuke was trying to touch his cheek. Deciding to help him out a little, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and kissed it before placing it on his cheek.

"Don't worry, Naruto. As long as we train as hard as we can, then everything will be alright. We'll find some way to defeat him without getting injured like Lee was. We'll make it, don't worry." Sasuke reassured him.

"You're right. I didn't mean to worry you."

"Now who's the worry wart." Sasuke teased again.

Naruto only chuckled as he moved to sit next to Sasuke on the bed. Naruto kissed their laced fingers before leaning over and kissing his lips and placing his chin lightly between Sasuke's soft ears. Sasuke lazily draped his left hand over Naruto's back and inhaled his scent. Underneath the smell of perspiration and worry laid Naruto's original scent. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon. The scent of comfort. The scent of his one and only soulmate…

**The End…?**

**Just Kidding…**

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Naruto finds out that Kakashi is going to train Sasuke for the whole month while Jiraiya trains him again before the Finals.


	17. Training for the Finals

**Warnings For This Chapter: **Slight NaruSasu yaoi.

**Author Shout Outs: **

These are for the reviewers who reviewed my **Author's Note** and **Chapter 15**

_**Tsyilna Llyria: **_Thank you for your review and love how you love how I handled the characters.

_**Cogasha: **_I'm glad you love it when I review. I love it when you review.

_**Apollymi28:**_ Thank you for understanding. And that's so cool how you graduated from college and are still reading fanfics and my story.

_**Girl Supersonicboy: **_Well wait till you get to college, but here's what you asked for.

_**Uchiha Hinata21: **_Thank you for understanding and the encouragement.

_**Guest: **_I love your saying and thanks for not making me feel guilty.

_**M-Preg Angel: **_I love your questions and I hope I answered all of them. If you have anymore, please do not be afraid to ask me.

**Thank all of you for understanding, so for being so patient here's the next chapter.**

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**:**

_**Back in the Room with Sasuke and Naruto**_

_**"So, who are all the people we're competing against in the Finals?" Sasuke asked. Naruto began his tale of what Sasuke missed after they parted ways, but what he elaborated the most on were the fights between Gaara and Lee and Hinata and Neji. "So, Neji and that Gaara kid are a lot stronger than I thought."**_

_**"Yeah, but it's Gaara I'm worried about the most. I think that kid might be the hardest to defeat. I mean, who knew he could turn sand into a dangerous weapon like that? I'm really worried about Bushy Brows. I heard from the Med-Nin that took him away that Gaara did so much damage to his left arm and leg that he may never be a ninja again. Just the screams and images from that battle still makes my blood run cold." Naruto stated with a light shiver.**_

_**"Hn. Don't tell me you're scared." Sasuke teased.**_

_**"I'm not terrified of him if that's what you mean. I'm just worried about if I'll be able to beat him. He's practically untouchable with that sand always protecting him. I wonder how you even get around that. Lee only just got lucky because he's fast, but anyone else would be killed before they even get close to him." Naruto said while shaking his head.**_

_**Sasuke grunted a little as he tried to move his hand. Naruto watched in confusion until he saw that Sasuke was trying to touch his cheek. Deciding to help him out a little, Naruto grabbed Sasuke's hand and kissed it before placing it on his cheek.**_

_**"Don't worry, Naruto. As long as we train as hard as we can, then everything will be alright. We'll find some way to defeat him without getting injured like Lee was. We'll make it, don't worry." Sasuke reassured him.**_

_**"You're right. I didn't mean to worry you."**_

_**"Now who's the worry wart." Sasuke teased again.**_

_**Naruto only chuckled as he moved to sit next to Sasuke on the bed. Naruto kissed their laced fingers before leaning over and kissing his lips and placing his chin lightly between Sasuke's soft ears. Sasuke lazily draped his left hand over Naruto's back and inhaled his scent. Underneath the smell of perspiration and worry laid Naruto's original scent. The scent of vanilla and cinnamon. The scent of comfort. The scent of his one and only soulmate…**_

**Now, onto the next chapter:**

**Chapter 16: Training for the Finals**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I don't know how long I've been up, but it was long enough for me to watch the sun come up. After one day in the hospital, Sasuke was released to go home, but he wasn't completely healed. So, after I brought him home and made him some of my famous ramen, despite his arguments, we laid in bed for the night. That was last night. Today, Sasuke was supposed to be leaving to train with Kakashi-sensei while I train with the perverted Toad Sage. I would rather spend the month healing Sasuke, but training so that I can become stronger is more important when it comes to the Chunin Exams. But, who said that I couldn't enjoy the moment right now.

The sun was barely shinning through Sasuke's bedroom window and hit his skin perfectly. My raven was sleeping soundly on my chest, like normal, with my arms wrapped around his middle. His soft raven locks tickled my neck slightly, but I ignored it in favor of not waking him up. I was too busy thinking anyway.

Sasuke is the only person I've ever been with and we've been together for a while now. I know that I love him and would like to get married to him when we get older, but I wonder if he would be ready for that step further down the road? Especially after I tell him the truth. I've never told Sasuke that I am the Nine-Tailed Kyuubi's vessel. He hasn't figured it out either and I would like for it to stay that way for a little while longer. Sasuke is the most perfect person I've ever met and he doesn't need a screw up like me in his life, but I just can't let him go. If he were to leave me because of the monster that everyone thinks I am… I don't know what I'd do.

"_I wish Kyuubi was here to help me. I'm actually starting to miss him."_

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I felt Sasuke move against me. He groaned and shifted before sitting up between my legs.

"Good morning, baby. Sleep well?" I smirked when he began to glare. "You know that your glare doesn't work on me. Besides, you look to cute right now to be taken seriously."

"You're awfully annoyingly cheery this morning. What gives? Are you happy that I'm leaving or a month with Kakashi again?" Sasuke questioned with his arms crossed.

"Of course not. You know I'm torched each moment I'm away from you."

"You're also being more dramatic. Now I'm curious. What's going on in that head of yours? " Sasuke asked when he poked me in my forehead.

"Nothing really. Just thinking."

"About…?" He pressured more.

"My training with the pervert this month. Nothing you need to worry about." I smiled through my lie.

"I'm sure it'll be alright. Just make sure that he doesn't push you off anymore cliffs." Sasuke chuckled lightly, causing me to do the same. "Come on. It's time to get dressed." He was about to get up, but I stopped him.

"Wait." I said as I grabbed his wrist. Sasuke turned his head to face me with a confused look. "I was wondering something… You love me, right?"

"Yeah."

"And, no matter what happens or if I tell you something that could possible change your mind and feelings about me, would you stay with me?"

"Yeah."

"And if something bad were to happen because of me, you wouldn't leave just abandon me, right?"

"Naruto, what does this have to do with anything? What's with all the questions?"

"Answer the question and I'll tell you." I said.

"No matter what happens and no matter what we go through or what you tell me I will always be by your side because I will always love you. Now, what does this have to do with anything?" He asked.

"I just wanted to know what you think of the idea of marriage." I stated bluntly.

What I said almost make Sasuke chock on his spit. It was almost comical. "Where did that come from?"

"I was just wondering." I grabbed both of his hands and laced our fingers together, along with our tails, before sitting up to look him in his eyes. "I know that I love you deeply and that if you were to leave me, it would kill me, So I was wondering if I were to ask you to marry me, would you say yes? Of course this wouldn't be until we were at least 18, but I just wondering." I smiled at his light blush that appeared on his cheeks. I almost laughed as he began to speak, but couldn't form words because he was too stunned to speak. "Breathe Sasuke, breathe."

"Sorry." He cleared his throat with his blush deepening. He took a deep breath before finally answering me. "I already said that I love you and that I would never leave you, so if you were to ask me to marry you, in a few years, then I'd say yes."

"Really?" I smiled wider.

"Really really." He smiled lightly.

I unlaced our fingers in favor of hugging him close to me. "Oh Sasuke, you've made me the happiest person alive!" I cheered.

"You're… chocking me…" He grunted.

I immediately pulled away from him and allowed him to breathe. "Sorry." I apologized.

"It's alright. But now that you know my answer, can we please go get dressed before Kakashi shows up? I really don't want to keep him waiting." Sasuke sighed as he moved to the bathroom.

"After you, babe." I smiled before I was met with the closed door. "Sasuke, sweetie, you locked me out."

"Yep."

"Come on Sasuke, let me in." I shook the door handle. The only response I got was the sound of the shower running. "Let me in Sasuke! Sasuke!" At this point I was banging on the door.

"Keep doing that and I'll take back what I said earlier." He threatened.

Now I started to pound on the door with the side of my fists and kicking it. "I'm sorry Sasuke! Please let me in!"

That's when he opened the door with a light glare. He looked at the door to see if there were any markings on the door before looking back at me. "You're paying for a new door if you break it."

"I'm sorry for calling you the names you hate like baby, babe, sweetie. Can you please let me in?" I pleaded.

He looked at me and signed as he moved aside. "If it'll stop you from pounding on my door."

"Thank you, babe." I smiled with my arms around him and while rubbing our cheeks together.

"Want me to kick you out again?"

"Sorry." I backed away and let him go, allowing him to strip and get in the shower first.

I followed right behind him and jumped in with him.

…

…

…

While I was busy cleaning up the kitchen. Sasuke was upstairs getting ready for his month long trip. We both finished right around the same time. Before moving towards me, he placed his backpack by the door.

We stood in front of each other. I was the one that reached out and pulled him close to me by his waist. I felt his arms wrap around my neck, his forehead on my shoulder, and his tail wrap around mine.

"I'll miss you." I started.

"Me too."

"I love you." I continued.

"I love you, too." He replied.

"Be careful while you're training. Don't push yourself too much. You're still somewhat injured."

"You don't have to worry, Naruto. I'll be fine. And by time I come back, I'll be stronger than you." He smirked as he lifted his head to stare at me.

I chuckled before leaning in and kissing his lips deeply. "Only in your dreams, Sasuke. Only in your dreams, sweetie."

He hit my arm playfully after rolling his eyes and grabbing his stuff. "Come on, Dobe. Walk me to the gate."

I stopped rubbing my arm while walking over to the door and locking it after leaving we left the house.

…

…

…

"Ah, good morning Sasuke and Naruto. And how are my two students doing this morning?" Kakashi smiled as he put his book away.

"I'm great, Kakashi-sensei!" I cheered.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted.

"We're going to have to get you a new vocabulary, Sasuke. Yours only has sounds in it." Kakashi teased.

"Ow." I said after receiving another punch for laughing at Kakashi's joke.

"Well, if there is nothing else to say, I guess we'll be leaving. Goodbye Naruto."

"Yeah, bye Dobe. And try not to get into trouble while I'm away. I don't feel like saving your ass again when I come back." Sasuke smirked.

"The only thing you'll have to worry about it is how much stronger I'll be when by time you come back." I smirked, trying to top him.

"We'll see, Dobe. We'll see." He smiled as he turned his back on me.

"We better be going, Naruto. Master Jiraiya will meet you on the Training Field at noon. Don't be late and be sure to listen to him and his teachings. Get stronger Naruto and good luck." Kakashi waved.

"See you in a month!" I smiled while waving my hand until they disappeared.

I had about a few hours to kill, so I decided to head to my favorite ramen stand before taking a little nap.

…

…

…

"Ah Naruto. You're looking well. How have you been?" Jiraiya smiled when he saw me walk onto the field.

"Hey, what you've been up to? Writing more of your porn?" I teased with my hands in my pockets.

"It's not porn, Naruto. It's _**RESEARCH!**_" He yelled before putting his notebook away.

"Research for your porn." I laughed.

"Why I outta~"

"Hiya Naruto!" The two Toad Brothers, Gamakichi and Gamatatsu smiled as they jumped from behind Jiraiya's back and towards me.

"Hey guys. How are ya?" I smiled as I crouched down to their level.

"Did you get us some snacks?!" Gamatatsu asked excitedly.

"Yes." I reached into my pouch and pulled out two bags of chips. "Here you two go."

"Thank you!" The brothers cheered before hoping over to the rock Jiraiya was sitting on to eat their snacks.

"Ready to get started, Naruto?" Jiraiya asked with a light smile.

"Yeah, but before we do… Can you help me with a little problem?"

"What is it?"

"During the Chunin Exams, Sakura, Sasuke, and I faced against Orochimaru and~"

"Orochimaru was here?!" He shouted, startling the Toad Brothers and me.

"Yeah. He placed the curse mark on Sasuke and did something to my seal. Kakashi fixed Sasuke's mark, but I haven't been able to communicate with Kyuubi since the incident. I was wondering if you could help me." I explained.

"I see, that old snake seems to be starting trouble up again. Damn him. Well, don't worry kid. I'll help you with you seal and train so that you'll be able to defeat that snake bastard."

"Thanks, Pervy-Sage. So what do we do first?"

"Take off your shirt and jacket, so that I can see what he did to your seal." I did as I was told. When I removed both my jacket and shirt, he walked over and crouched down so that he could see it. "Hmmm, looks like he used a sealing jutsu to lock your seal and disconnect you from the Kyuubi's power. If we want to you to get stronger and be able to control your chakra better, then we're going to have unlock it."

"How do we do that?" I asked.

"Leave that part to me." Was all he said before allowing his fingers to glow with symbols on them. "Take a deep breath."

"What are you~" I didn't have time to finish my sentence when the white haired toad jabbed his fingers into my stomach.

I felt sharp pain where he jabbed me before I went flying back a few feet. "What the hell did you do that for?! You could have seriously damaged me!" I yelled while trying to get up.

"I used a special jutsu to unlock your seal while also strengthening it. Go ahead. Try and communicate with him."

I nodded and did as I was told. I took a deep breath before trying to reach my guardian. _"Kyuubi?"_

"_**Kit? Is that you?"**_

"_Kyuubi? Are you alright? What did that lock seal do to you?"_ I asked in a panicked voice.

"_**I'm fine. The only thing that happened was that our chakra and communication link was cut off. But everything seems fine now."**_ He informed.

"_Ok. I'll let Jiraiya know."_

I cut the link off. "It worked. I can talk to Kyuubi again. Thanks." I smiled.

"No problem. Now that that's taken care of, let's begin training."

"What are we going to start with first?" I asked excitedly.

"Now that you're back in tuned with the Kyuubi, let's try strengthening your chakra control by doing some chakra controlling exercise."

"Tell me what to do first."

"But, before we get started… there's something I have to tell you… It's about Sasuke."

"What about Sasuke?" I questioned with slight worry in my voice.

"You said that Sasuke received the curse mark from Orochimaru, right?"

"Yeah, but Kakashi sealed it away, so there shouldn't be any problem. Right?"

"No. Now that Sasuke wears the curse mark, Orochimaru will soon be coming to collect him. No matter what seal is placed over his mark, Sasuke will be at the mercy of Orochimaru's power and control. And knowing how my former teammate is… he won't stop until Sasuke is within his possession."

What Jiraiya said made my blood run cold. I had no idea and now knowing that Sasuke is in danger of being captured by that snake makes me angry. I felt my claws dig into my palms and Kyuubi's power running through my veins, turning my irises purple.

"Jiraiya. I want you to train me as hard and as much as you can. I want to become stronger so that I can protect Sasuke from that snake bastard. I can and will take whatever you dish out to me and come back fighting. Let's begin." I stated boldly and with determination in my voice.

"The passion you have to protect that boy is astounding. Very well, let's get started." Jiraiya said with a smile. "First things first… Let's see if you can walk on water."

…

…

…

**Normal P.O.V.**

It was around noon when Sasuke decided to visit Lee in the hospital and bring him flowers. The match between Gaara and Lee made Sakura feel bad for Lee and terrified of Gaara. She had never known anyone that could have that much power and be able to control sand in that way before. She just hopes that Lee will be fine.

"Who am I kidding. That green cheetah is probably already training for next year's test." The pink haired bunny giggled to herself.

When she arrived at the hospital, a nurse directed her to Lee's room. The pink haired bunny Kunoichi smiled as she opened the door. Lee was sitting up in his hospital bed and looking out the window.

"Oh hi, Sakura-chan!" Lee smiled as he waved his right arm.

"Hi Lee. How are you feeling?" Sakura asked as she closed the door.

Lee was sitting up in his bed with his left arm in a cast and his left cased leg elevated in the air by some wires. On top of that, the rest of his body was also covered in bruises.

"I've been better." The green cheetah smiled.

"Well I'm glad. I brought you some flowers to cheer you up about not getting into the Finals."

"Gee, thanks. Those look beautiful, just like you." Lee smiled widely.

Sakura paused when she was about to place the flowers on the stand next to his bed. She slowly put the glass vase down before turning to face Lee.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She lightly gasped.

"Of course I do."

The blush on Sakura's cheeks darkened at Lee's response. _"I wish Sasuke-kun would say something like that to me."_

"Thank you, Lee. That's a sweet thing to say." Lee nodded as he watched Sakura pull up a seat next to his bed. "So, when can you be released from here?"

"In about a week or so."

"I bet you're ready to leave so that you can start training for next year's test, huh?"

"Of course. Although, I'll have to wait a little while longer. The nurses told me that the damage done to my arm and leg is so bad that I might never become a ninja again." He confessed. That confession made Sakura's heart stop. The thought of Lee, of all people, never becoming a ninja again is just…wrong. "But don't worry, Sakura-chan." Lee's voice brought Sakura out of her thoughts. "I'm going to train no matter what and I will continue to be a ninja. I promise you."

Sakura listened to the boy's words and felt herself being encouraged by him. With a smile on her face, Sakura leaned forward placed her hand on top of Lee's head and started to message his yellow cheetah ears. "I'm starting to think that you're more of the optimist than Naruto is."

…

…

…

"Alright Mom." Shikamaru said as he exited his house. "Gee, what a pain." He mumbled with his hands in his pockets.

His task was to go to the store and buy some groceries for his mom so that she can cook dinner. So that's what he was doing, with a female weasel trailing behind him. Temari has decided, like the other ninja, to get a jump on things by observing her opponents. The first one on her list was Shikamaru Nara of the Nara Clan. She followed the deer boy with exceptional quiet and stealth.

She made sure to study his every movement. She followed him throughout the store, to his home, to the park, and even to the Hokage Monument. The whole time she was following him, Temari couldn't figure out why he wasn't training. From what she had seen in the arena, Shikamaru was a great fighter who must've trained day in and day out to get the skills he has. But while she followed him, Shikamaru was not displaying anything except laziness. Every place he went, the deer shadow caster only looked around at his surroundings. This confused Temari, but she wasn't going to give up, so she followed him to the Training Fields.

"_Now's my chance to see how he trains."_ Temari thought.

She stared at Shikamaru intensely. The deer male just looked around before falling onto the ground with his arms folded behind his head and one leg propped up on the other.

"_You've got to be kidding me. This is it. The genius who defeated one of the contestants from the Sound Village does nothing all day?! Or what if he's only acting this way because he spotted me? No, it can't be. If that was the case, then he would've attacked me already, right? What is his plan?"_

"You know, it's very hard to cloud watch and take a nap with you stalking after me everywhere. Why don't you come out instead of hiding in the trees." Shikamaru called out with his eyes still closed.

Temari tsked before doing as she was told and jumping down from the tree she was in. "How long did you know I was there?" She asked as she walked over towards him.

"Since you were stalking me at my house the first time." Shika calmly answered.

"There's no way. I was practically the definition of stealth. There's no way you could've known I was following you this whole time." Temari glared.

"When you cloud watch as much as I do, you notice everything." Shika informed before yawning before sitting up. "So let me guess. You were following me to try and learn my moves just in case you were put against me in the Finals. Am I right?"

What Shikamaru said made Temari jump back. "How did you know?"

"Why else would you be following me? There's no way you could think that I was so interesting that you wanted to follow me around to just see how interesting I really am. Hn. Even I know that I'm the most boring guy I know." Shikamaru yawned once again.

"Hn. Looks like you're smarter than you look. So is that the reason you weren't training with me around? You didn't want me to studying your true nature?" Temari guessed.

"Nope."

"What?"

"What you see is what you get girly. Like I said, I'm not that interesting. The only reason I took you to those places is because I was trying to see if you would get bored enough to finally leave me alone." Shikamaru confessed as he rolled over on his right side.

What the deer male said shocked Temari to fullest extent. "So you mean to tell me that you were trying to get rid of me by using boredom?"

"Yep."

"So… are you ever going to train?" Temari asked.

"Not really. Training isn't my thing." The deer yawned while sitting up again.

"So basically I just wasted my time following you when I could've been following someone else who was actually going to train?"

"Pretty much." Shika sighed.

"Ugh! Your are the most wasted piece of skin I've ever met!" Temari yelled as she stomped her foot.

"It's not my fault that you chose a boring person to study. But I have to say… you're the prettiest stalker I've ever had." Shika smiled at his comment, which made Temari blush deeply.

"Oh what do you know." Temari glared with the blush still there before she disappeared.

"Everything I needed to."

Shikamaru's smile widen as he watched the dirty blond weasel female leave in a huff. The truth was that Shikamaru did know that Temari was following him for a while, but he was using all of that time to study her. Through the stalking and the conversation they just had, Shikamaru gathered more from her person than he would have if he actually watched her train.

"This should be interesting." He yawned for a final time before finally falling asleep against the cool ground.

…

…

…

"I… can't… believe…I… lost…" Tenten grunted as she practiced her throwing techniques against a tree.

When all of her kunai were stuck in the tree in front of her, Tenten placed her hands on her knees and panted. She whipped some of the sweat away from her brow before reaching for another scroll full of weapons.

"You sound frustrated." Choji said as he stepped closer to him while eating a bag of chips.

"I am a little." Tenten confessed.

"About not being able to get into the Finals. I can't believe that girl beat me, and so fast too. She was unlike anyone I've ever faced before. It almost makes me glad that Gai-sensei made us wait a year before competing." Tenten sighed in frustration.

"That's ok. I'm not in the Finals either. Hey, maybe we can watch it together." Choji smiled.

"Yeah maybe, but I still want to train for next year's Chunin Exam. I'm going to be a Chunin, one way or another." Tenten said with determination.

Choji finished the last of his chips before throwing them away and moving to stand before her. He smiled gently as he stuck his hand out for her. "You don't have to train alone. You and I can train and we can become chunin together."

The smile that Choji was offering was warming and inviting. Other than Lee, she was never given a smile like that before. It was weird. Until the Chunin Exams, Tenten never heard of Choji, but after speaking with him for the first time… her interest to get to know him has begun.

With an even more inventing, gentle smile Tenten grabbed his hand and stood to her full height. "Sure. Let's train and become chunin together."

Choji blushed at her response, he hadn't expected her to accept so fast. With slight hesitation and nervousness, Choji pulled his hand away and used it to scratch the side of his cheek.

"So does this make us friends?" He asked.

Tenten jumped lightly at his question. Tenten never really had friends. She was always busy trying to prove to other people that girls can be strong. She never really had friends, except for Lee. It would be nice to have one more.

"Sure Choji. We can be friends." She smiled before grabbing one of her scrolls and summoning some of her weapons. "Let's begin."

…

…

…

Gaara was sitting alone in a field. He was busy trying to control his excitement. The other demon vessel, Naruto Uzumaki, also made it to the Finals. The fight against Lee was pretty satisfying, but the fight against the most power demon's carrier would finally quiet his demon's howling. The only thing that he'd wish at the moment was for a certain pest to go away.

Dosu was hiding in a bush, readied to attack, but Gaara's sand captured him and lifted the Sound villain off the ground. "Hey! Put me down!" Dosu struggled.

"_**It's not nice to sneak up on people."**_

"Let me go, ya freak!" Dosu screamed and continued to struggle.

"_**You are trapped within my Sand Coffin. The only way you can escape is if I let you out."**_ Gaara explained.

"Then let me out!"

"_**Not until you answer my question. Why were you seeking up on me?"**_

"I wanted to kill you and take your place in the Finals. You're too strong and I know that I could never defeat you. So, if I kill you now, I'll have you out of the way for later. Good plan, right?" Dosu smirked.

"_**I wouldn't be smirking if I were you." Afterall… I hold your life in my hands."**_

Dosu screamed in pain as the sand around his body began to crush him and tighten. "I thought you said you were going to let me go?"

"_**I didn't like your answer. Besides, if I decided to follow along with your plan… then I'll be rid of you."**_ Gaara smirked before closing his hand. _**"Goodbye."**_ The screams of Dosu continued for a few seconds before they stopped. Gaara retracted his sand and watched as Dosu's limp body fell to the floor. _**"What a pathetic waste."**_

"_**Well, you're more evil than I thought."**_ Gaara turned around and saw Neji approach him with his hands in his pockets.

"_**Coming from the person trying to kill his cousin, that's quite the compliment." **_ Gaara lightly smirked while the rest of his sand returned to him.

"But, you are more vicious than me. Killing a man in broad daylight? That takes a lot of guts to do." Neji smirked. Gaara's smirk dropped as he studied Neji with murderous eyes. "Relax. I'm not here to harm you. I just wanted to observe you."

"_**Well you've observed enough. You may leave now." **_Gaara frowned as he turned his back to Neji.

"Fine. Besides, I've seen all I need to see." Neji turned his back to Gaara with a smirk still on his face and his hands in his pockets. "See you in the Finals… _**Gaara**_…" And with that Neji felt the fields.

Gaara waited until Neji was gone before moving. He placed two fingers on his neck and felt a pulse for the first time in years along with the chill that ran down his spine from the way Neji said his name. The way everything went between the two of them during their small conversation was very… very… very…

"_**Intriguing…"**_

…

…

…

"I have to say… you are one interesting person." Shino stated calmly as he held a beetle on his finger. Kankuro flinched at the statement his prey made. "Come out. There's nothing you need to fear. I won't kill you."

The words Shino spoke scared and welcomed Kankuro at the same time. But, he took a chance and exposed himself.

"How did you know I was here?"

"My bugs. They told me about your existence. They find you… interesting." Shino explained.

"Ha. I didn't even know that bugs found things interesting." Kankuro laughed until he felt something crawling on them. "Whoa! What the hell?! Call you're bugs off man!"

"It's alright. They just wanted to see your puppets." Shino explained.

"Then why didn't you just tell me that?" Kankuro said before sitting next to Shino and laying his three puppets out. "But, why do they want to see them?"

"They're intrigued by the one your puppet that looks like an ant."

"So… they're attracted to me because of my puppets?" Kankuro asked.

"Yes, but I'm interested in how you fight." Shino commented.

"Yeah? And why is that?"

"You're the first person I have ever met that uses puppets to fight. It's very interesting." Shino said.

"Well, that is interesting. You're the first person to really take an interest in my fighting style. My siblings don't care how I fight, as long as I am able to. So it's… nice? Being able to hear that someone is actually interested in how I work." Kankuro confessed.

"Have you ever thought about making another type of creature that is built to kill your opponent?"

"No I haven't but I~ Hey wait a minute. You're going to possibly be my opponent in the Finals. Why would you help me?" Kankuro asked with suspicion.

"You and I may be enemies in the Finals, but not now. Now, we can grow off each other's advice and see how we each us it in the Finals. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds like a plan." Kankuro smiled as he smiled at Shino. "Alright. Give me all the advice you got."

…

…

…

"I'm sorry, but you cannot bring your dog in here." The nurse said to Kiba.

"But, he is a nin-dog. He is allow to be in buildings like this." Kiba argued.

"Then let me see his papers." Kiba groaned as he pulled Akamaru's papers out and showed them to the nurse. She checked the information presented to her before handing them back. "Everything seems in order. You can find he female Hyuga's room down the hall and to the left."

"Her name is Hinata." Kiba grunted as he walked away from the desk.

He walked down the hall towards Hinata's room. He held a few handpicked flowers in his hand, ready to give them to Hinata. When he finally reached the room, Kiba swallowed a large lump in his throat before opening the door.

The short haired raven mouse was sitting on her bed and looking out the window. Deep worry lines appeared on her face.

"Hi Hinata." Kiba nervously said as he closed the door.

"Hi Kiba. How are you feeling?" She smiled.

"All healed up. What about you? I heard Neji really did a number on you."

"Yeah he did, but I'm ok. I'm not fully healed yet, but I'm getting there." She smiled.

"Hinata. You wouldn't be in this situation if you had back down like I asked." Kiba sighed.

"I know, but I wanted to prove myself. I've been training just as hard as you and Shino and I wanted to show everyone how strong I've become. I'm sorry for not listening to you." The quiet mouse said as she lowered her head and ears.

"It's alright. Here. I brought these for you." Kiba sighed as he held out his hand with the flowers in them.

"Thank you, Kiba. You can just put them in the cup of water. That should keep them alive for a few days."

Kiba nodded before doing what was asked and pulling up a chair by her bed. "So, do you think you'll be better for the Finals? Because I was wondering if you wanted to watch them with me? Gotta cheer Shino on, ya know."

"Yeah, sure. I would love to go with you." Hinata smiled with her eyes closed, completely missing Kiba's deep blush.

"Ok, that's cool. Besides, I also want to go to see how far Naruto gets. He may have been able to defeat me, but there is no way he can defeat Neji or that Gaara monster guy. Hn. He ain't got now chance." Kiba laughed lightly.

"Oh no. I forgot that Neji is participating in the Finals. What if he actually kills Naruto?" Hinata panicked.

"Kill Naruto? Please. That guy runs on pure energy. Nothing will be able to kill that guy." Kiba laughed.

"Yes, you are right. But, knowing how Neji is… I'm worried. I wish… I wish that I was strong enough to stop him or at least tie with him. He's really strong and determined. He runs on the jealousy of being in the lesser house while I remain the heiress." Hinata sighed.

"You can't just let him into the Main Branch or give the position of heir to him?"

"It doesn't work that way. It's about where you're born into. But, if the next heir/heiress removed themselves from the clan, then the Head must choose the next heir/heiress." Hinata explained.

"So, do you want to be the heiress? I mean, so you like the pressure?"

"It does get tough, sometimes. I have to uphold a lot of expectations, which I haven't been doing. But, I don't really mind it. And plus, I wouldn't want to pass this job onto anyone else. This is something I have to do. So, I'm going to keep training and be the best heiress I can be."

The determination that Hinata had flowed throughout the room and into Kiba. "Then I'm going to help you."

"What?"

"I'm going to help you. There's no way I'm going to let Neji run over you like that again. I know you can beat him and show your family that you're not as weak as they think. So I'm going to help you train. No matter what it takes… we're going to get strong together."

What Kiba said made Hinata smile lightly with a pink blush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Kiba. Hearing you say that makes me very happy."

Hearing her say that and smiling tugged at Kiba's heart strings. "No problem."

…

…

…

**One Month Later…**

It was the night before the Chunin Exam Finals when Naruto found himself laying in bed alone again. He was worried. Sasuke should've been back by now, but here he was… waiting for Sasuke to return again. The warning that Jiraiya gave scared Naruto shitless and made him worry over Sasuke even more. Especially now as he waited for Sasuke to return.

It was going on midnight when Naruto heard the front door unlock. His ears perked up as he patiently waited for his lover to come up the stairs. After five minutes of hearing footsteps, Sasuke Uchiha finally opened his bedroom door and found Naruto sitting up in his bed.

The two stared at each other a for a few minutes before Sasuke made his way over to the bed. While Sasuke was doing that, Naruto moved so that he was sitting on the edge on the bed. Sasuke stopped when he stood between Naruto's legs, neither one taking their eyes off each other. Naruto was the first one to move.

He used one arm to grab one of Sasuke's wrists while the other arm snaked around the raven's waist before pulling Sasuke down for a kiss. During the kiss, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's neck to deepen the kiss further. Soon the kiss turned into a great passion filled one. But, right when Naruto was about to lift up Sasuke's shirt, the raven grabbed his wrist to stop him.

"I'm really tired. Let's stop here for the night."

Naruto nodded at his raven's words and moved back enough so that Sasuke could get ready for bed. Sasuke stripped out of his shirt and shorts before climbing into bed, wrapping his tail around Naruto's and laid his head on Naruto's chest. Naruto sighed in contentment as he wrapped his arms around Sasuke and took a deep breath. The scent of Sasuke, the scent of vanilla and strawberries, filled his senses and eased his mind. Sasuke let the sound of Naruto's heart lull him to sleep with no problem. Naruto stayed up for a few minutes and watched Sasuke sleep before turning his head and closing his eyes.

"I missed you Sasuke."

…

…

…

The next day, at the Finals of the Chunin Exam, the Hokage stood in the announcing booth and stared down at each contestant.

"_**Welcome ladies and gentlemen from all villages. I welcome you to this year's annual Chunin Exam. This year, you will be seeing the best of everyone that made it to the final portion of this test. Today is the day you all will see why these fin individuals made it this far. So, without further hesitation… Let the Finals of the Chunin Exam commence!"**_

After the 3rd Hokage gave his speech, everyone in the crowd cheered, but Naruto was too confused to cheer.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked.

"There are only 8 of us."

"So?" Sasuke shrugged.

"Weren't there 9 of us?" Naruto questioned.

After hearing this, Sasuke looked around and noticed that there were only eight of them. "You're right. But, who could be missing?"

"_**Dosu from the Sound is missing."**_ Both Sasuke and Naruto turned to see that Gaara was the one talking.

"And how do you know that?" Naruto asked.

Gaara smirked at this before turning to face them fully. _**"Because I killed him."**_

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on **_**"Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

The Finals begin.


	18. Beginning of Finals

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Beginning of Finals

**Author's Shout Outs:**

_**Dragon77, GunsAndROSES2656, and NaruSasuLover16**_

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_

The next day, at the Finals of the Chunin Exam, the Hokage stood in the announcing booth and stared down at each contestant.

"_**Welcome ladies and gentlemen from all villages. I welcome you to this year's annual Chunin Exam. This year, you will be seeing the best of everyone that made it to the final portion of this test. Today is the day you all will see why these fin individuals made it this far. So, without further hesitation… Let the Finals of the Chunin Exam commence!"**_

After the 3rd Hokage gave his speech, everyone in the crowd cheered, but Naruto was too confused to cheer.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked.

"There are only 8 of us."

"So?" Sasuke shrugged.

"Weren't there 9 of us?" Naruto questioned.

After hearing this, Sasuke looked around and noticed that there were only eight of them. "You're right. But, who could be missing?"

"_**Dosu from the Sound is missing."**_ Both Sasuke and Naruto turned to see that Gaara was the one talking.

"And how do you know that?" Naruto asked.

Gaara smirked at this before turning to face them fully. _**"Because I killed him."**_

**Now Onto the Next Chapter**

**Chapter 17: Beginning of Finals**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"_**Because I killed him."**_ Gaara's words and the smirk he wore sent shivers down both Naruto and Sasuke's spines.

The two lovers looked at each other with slight fear in their eyes. It almost made them wonder if Gaara enjoyed practically tearing Lee apart. And if that's true… then there's probably a good chance that he's going to enjoy shredding his next opponent.

"_Now that's a scary thought." _Naruto swallowed hard.

"_I'd have to agree with you there. I hope that that doesn't scare you. You may have to fight him you know."_ Sasuke teased.

"_Don't worry about me, babe. That raccoon dog won't even get the chance to touch me. I would've won by then." _Naruto smirked with his arms folded.

"_You say as your knees knock against each other."_ Sasuke chuckled lightly.

Naruto looked down and saw that Sasuke was right before looking up and glaring at his boyfriend. _"Shut up."_

"Alright you eight. Let's get started. The first match will be between Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. The other participants will wait in the waiting area until it is their time to do battle." Genma said after giving a light cough.

While everyone moved to the Waiting Area, Naruto turned his head to glare at Neji. The calm snow leopard only smirked at his opponent with high arrogance.

"What's the matter fox boy? Smelling the odor of defeat yet? I'm sure with that nose of yours you probably smelt it even after your shower this morning." Neji chuckled with his hands in his pockets.

Naruto's glared intensified as his ears spiked up and his tail swung wildly behind him. Sasuke noticed it as he walked by allowed some of his scent out to calm Naruto down.

"_Don't let him bother you. Stay focused and win so that you can put that arrogant bastard in his place." _Sasuke said in encouragement.

Upon hearing Sasuke's words, Naruto slowed his breathing, closed his eyes, and allowed Sasuke's scent to overwhelm his senses. When he opened his eyes, Naruto was completely calmed and his rage was replaced with determination.

"_Don't worry. I'll beat his ass so bad, he's grandkids will feel it."_ Naruto smirked. Sasuke nodded and began to walk to the Waiting Area with his hands in his pockets, only stopping when Naruto called out to him. _"Thanks babe. I really appreciate it."_

Sasuke only shook his head and used his bangs to hid his smirk. _"Just win… ya idiot."_

And with that, Sasuke cut off the connection between them before finally catching up with the others. Naruto smiled lightly as he watched his raven lover walk away. Once Sasuke and the others were out of sight, Naruto turned his glare towards a smirking Neji.

"Take your positions, you two." Genma ordered.

As the two competitors moved to their starting places, neither one removed their eyes from the other. Once they were standing in their starting places, Neji's smirk widen further.

"Got anything to say to me, runt?"

Naruto glared harder as he held out his fist. _**"Yeah… I do… You called me a failure and a loser, much like everyone in this village. There are only a select few who believe that I can win against you. But, today… this failure is going to kick your ass!"**_

"You? Kick my ass?" Neji threw his head back as he gave a hardy laugh. He laughed for a few moments before shaking his head and staring back at Naruto. "That statement is completely laughable. I'm glad you were able to make me laugh before we fought. But, it doesn't matter what you say because in the end…" Neji's smirk dropped and formed into a light frown as he moved into his fighting stance. "I will show why you are destined to be nothing but a failure, just like my cousin Hinata."

This made Naruto enraged, but he let Sasuke's words calm him for a minute before moving to stand in his fighting stance. "We'll just see about that, ya wise ass."

The stood in front of each other, ready to attack each other when Genma raised the flag. From the Waiting Area, Sasuke's incredible hearing picked up all of the people that doubted that his Naruto would be able to win this match, but they didn't know Naruto like Sasuke did. He knew that Naruto was powerful enough to whip the floor with Neji's arrogant ass. He was one of the select few that believed in him, and that's something Naruto can always count on Sasuke for… support.

"_Come on Naruto. You have to prove everyone her wrong. You have to show them that you're better than them."_ Sasuke mentally cheered.

"Are you two ready?" Genma asked. Both Naruto and Neji nodded. "Then begin!" Genma shouted as he raised his flags.

When they got their signal, Naruto began by throwing three kunai. Neji dodged the first two and caught the last one, giving Naruto time to run towards him. Naruto riled his fist back and aimed a punch for Neji's face, but the brunet moved out of the way. Naruto was about to fall to the ground, but instead he lifted his leg and tried to hit Neji. The snow leopard moved out of the way, giving Naruto enough room to flip into an upright position. When he was standing again, Naruto rushed at Neji and began an onslaught.

Neji was able to block each one with no problem. Seeing that his current technique wasn't working, Naruto changed tactics by jumping up and using his feet to kick him. Neji flipped out of the way in time before using his hand and hitting Naruto in the chest. The blond fox coughed a little, trying to regulate his breathing. While he was doing that, Neji went in to do the same attack he pulled on Hinata. Naruto saw this coming and moved back a little, causing Neji to hit Naruto's shoulder.

Naruto gave a grunt as he fell to the floor, holding his right shoulder.

"_Damn. I better watch out or else he'll close my chakra channels and I won't be able to use any jutsus."_ Naruto thought.

"I missed? No matter. I am still going to defeat you and show everyone how you only got here based on luck. You're a failure and that's all you'll ever be." Neji glared.

Naruto began to laugh at Neji's words. "Is that all you ever do? Talk down on every one that you think is beneath you? And you say that I'm the failure. What a shame." Naruto smirked as he stood up and rolled his shoulder into place. "Well, now that you've exploded my head from all of your fictional nonsense… we can get started. Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto formed the hand sign before four other Narutos appeared and pulled out kunais, just like the real Naruto.

"Hn. That's very interesting. You distributed your chakra into all of your clones evenly. I can't tell you from your clones. No matter. You can't hide forever." Neji smirked.

"We'll just see about that." All of the Naruto said together.

Neji readied himself as four of the Narutos rushed at him. He was distracted long enough by the Narutos so that the fifth one could attack. The fifth Naruto raised his leg and tried to kick Neji, but the snow leopard flipped out of the way in time.

"You're fast, I'll give you that. But, you won't win against me." Naruto stated with determination in his voice.

The other Narutos rushed at Neji again. The brunette dodged the first two attacks and dispelled them before doing the same to the other two. The real Naruto stood watching the event with hard eyes.

"_This guy… is actually pretty good."_

"Haha. And you thought you could become Hokage? A little fox runt like you? Please. You have as much of a chance of at becoming Hokage as I do being a dancer. Like I said before and I will keep saying it until you get it through your thick head… You're a failure and you will always be a failure. It is your destiny, so deal with it."

Naruto took in everything that Neji said before placing his hands on his hips and sighing. "Ok, so I'm a failure, so what? You act like I haven't heard anything worse than that my entire life. No one, except a select few here believes in me and my dream… and that's all that matters. I don't need you telling me that I am no good, I already get that on a daily bases. But, what I _**need **_ to do is show you that this failure will become Hokage and that your destiny is wrong. I have a strong dream and I'm going to see that it comes true no matter what. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as more Narutos appeared.

"So you're going to continue with this idiotic display? Fine by me. But, just to be fair, I should warn you… You just signed your death wish." Neji smirked.

"Sorry, but I don't plan on dying today. As for this 'idiotic display', I will continue. Because, one thing you should know about me… I never know when to quit." Naruto smirked.

"_**I'm proud of you, Kit. Now show him what you're made of."**_ Kyuubi smiled.

"_Take him down Naruto."_ Sasuke cheered.

All the Narutos rushed at Neji. The brunette snow leopard flipped, dodged, punched, kicked and sent a few Narutos flying. He looked around and noticed that one was standing out from the others. Smirking at his realization, Neji ran towards the standing Naruto.

"You can't hide from me." Neji smirked. Right when he reached the 'real' Naruto, Neji jabbed 'Naruto' in the chest. "I told you… you won't win." 'Naruto grunted and allowed some of his blood to leak out of the side of his mouth as he stumbled away from Neji and while the clones disappeared. "You're too obvious. While your clones were busy fighting me, you made yourself stand out by holding back. You're too dimwitted to ever win against a genius, like me. And with the attack I just landed… your chakra channels have been cut off and that means… you're done."

The smirk on Neji's face fell when Naruto began to laugh. "How many times do I have to tell you… I don't know when to give up." And with that, the Naruto clone disappeared, confusing Neji.

"What the hell?"

"Turn around you arrogant snow leopard!" The two Narutos, rushing at Neji, yelled.

"But how?" Neji asked.

"It doesn't matter because you're the one about to lose!" Naruto yelled.

He riled his fist back and aimed it at Neji's face, but when it was about to connect Neji began to spin around and created a half sphere around his body. When Naruto came into contact with the sphere, he and his clone were thrown back. The clone dispelled and Naruto hit the ground pretty hard.

"What the hell was that?"Naruto questioned in anger.

"Do you like it? It's one of my clan's attacks… It's called Rotation. It's my ultimate defense." Neji smirked.

"Well let's see how you stack up against my attacks." Naruto growled as he created more clones.

Each of the Narutos ran towards Neji. But when they did, Neji spun around again and used his other secret attack, the Eight Trigrams Palm Revolving Heaven. The impact of Neji's attack threw each Naruto back, dispelling the clones and damaging the real Naruto. When the real Naruto hit the ground, he grunted at how hard he landed before lifting himself onto his feet.

"It's time for me to end your pitiful dream of becoming Hokage." Neji said before moving to stand with one hand almost touching his feet, the other raised in the air, and his knees bent. "Get ready… to be eliminated. _**Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!**_" Neji shouted before rushing at Naruto. With each attack, Neji Hyuga called out a number and times it by two until he reached sixty-four. When that number arrived, Neji hit all of Naruto's chakra points before sending him flying back several feet. After a few moments of being on his back, Naruto moved to hold himself on all fours.

"That was one of my most powerful attacks. You should be thankful that you're still breathing. Anyone else would've died from that kind of attack, but not you. You're will is strong, but it wasn't enough to defeat me." Neji smirked.

"_Naruto! Come on, Naruto! Get up! You have to! You have to win! How are you supposed to become Hokage if you can't beat this guy! Come on! Get up!" _Sasuke cheered through his mental link with Naruto.

Sasuke's words sunk into Naruto's head and it made him think about everyone that fought to the bitter end and his ninja way. His way was to never give up. And that's what he was going to do.

With as much as strength as he could muster, Naruto struggled to stand. Neji watched in amazement as Naruto began to stand.

"That's impossible! You're not supposed to be standing!" Neji yelled in anger.

"Sorry, but I said that I wasn't planning on losing today and I meant it. My ninja way is to never give up and to fight until the bitter end. And today… I will defeat you." Naruto said with much determination in his eyes.

"How can you fight when I have blocked off everyone one of your sixty-four chakra points? You can't even fight." Neji dismissed.

"Oh yeah…?" Naruto smirked before lifting his hand to his face. When he removed it and opened his eyes… his eyes were slit, turning red, his claws and fangs extended, and red chakra began to flow around him. _**"Let's test that theory of yours out."**_ Naruto chuckled darkly. With Neji's Byakugan, he could see Naruto's chakra turning red and his chakra channels disappear from his vision. Soon he couldn't see anything except the menacing glint in those red fox eyes. _**"What's the matter, Neji? You look like you've seen a ghost."**_

Neji began to step away in fright. "What-What the hell are you?!" He yelled in confusion and worry.

"_**Me? I'm just Naruto Uzumaki… soon to be Hokage and the winner of this match. Now… prepare yourself!"**_

And with that, Naruto rushed at him with speed only visible to people with special eyes. Sasuke had to activate his Sharingan just to keep up. Neji used his Byakugan to detect Naruto, but by time that happened… Naruto was already in front of him.

"_**Peek-a-boo."**_

Neji gasped as Naruto landed a hard punch to the brunette's face and sent him flying back several feet. Before Neji could hit the ground, Naruto sped over to him, kicked him into the air, jumped up, and brought his elbow down into Neji's spine while also bringing his knee up so that it hit his stomach at the same time. Neji gasped in pain as blood spilled from his mouth and hit the ground. Naruto landed safely with a wide smirk on his face.

"_**What's the matter? Does it hurt? Good. Maybe then you'll understand some of the pain that the other people who've you put down feel. You are not some god that can tell others what their destiny is supposed to be. I will agree that everyone has a destiny, but it's not a set one. Anyone can change their destiny if they try. For years, people have told me that I'm worthless, I'll never amount to anything. Hell, some even tried their best to end my life because they thought I was unfit to breathe, but that's all going to change. I WILL become Hokage so that everyone will respect and admire me. That road is long and will require me to work hard. I am willing to sacrifice whatever I need to make sure that my dream will come true. But, if I want to become Hokage, I have to take baby steps in order to get there. And one of the first few steps… begins with your defeat!"**_

Neji listened to Naruto's words as he struggled to stand, coughing up blood while doing so. "I don't know where your power is coming from, but it won't help you. I will be the one to win this match. I don't care what trick you have up your sleeve. I'm still going to win. It's in my destiny!" Neji yelled before running at Naruto with a kunai in his hand.

Naruto grabbed one of his kunai out and began to run towards Neji. _**"When I become Hokage… I will change everyone's way of thinking… INCLUDING THE HYUGA'S!"**_

The two gave a mighty yell as they collided with one another, creating a large explosion. Everyone was on the edge of their seat as the dust began to clear. There were two craters where the two teens landed after the explosion. Everyone was confused as to which one is which. Soon, an arm shot out of the ground along with Neji. The brunette was panting hard, his clothes were torn and he was barely walking as he made his way over to the other creator.

When the Hyuga male looked into the creator, Naruto was lying lifeless in it. Neji began to laugh at this.

"I told you… that you were too much of a failure to win."

But right when Neji finished his sentence, the ground below him shook and Naruto popped out of the ground and hit Neji extremely hard in the jaw. With this last attack, Neji flew backwards and hit the ground. He tried to get up, but his body was too sore to move. He was done.

Naruto closed his eyes and returned to his normal form. His broken claws, from digging that tunnel under Neji, shrunk back to their normal size and started healing almost immediately as he walked over to Neji.

"I can't move… It seems that you won." Neji sighed in defeat.

"Like I said I would." Naruto smiled tiredly.

"But, I don't understand…"

"It's because I don't believe in that destiny crap that you kept speaking about. Like I said, I've had it rough my whole life, but I'm determined to change all of that and proving that I'm not a complete failure. You can do it too. And you want to know why?" Neji's ears perked up for Naruto's explanation. "It's because you're not a failure. You're a tough opponent and gave me a run for my money. But, you're right about you being a genius. You have the talent and brains to be more than what your 'destiny' claims you have to be. I believe it and you should too."

Neji laid his head back onto the ground and watched as a bird flew away into the sky before closing his eyes and smiling. When he opened his eyes, Naruto was crouching over him with his hand out.

"Come on. Let's get you some medical help." Naruto smiled.

Neji nodded and watched as Naruto leaned down to help Neji up and support him on his left side. "Naruto Uzumaki… Thank you…" Neji smiled.

"No problem." Naruto nodded as they walked to the Waiting Area.

As they were doing that, the crowd cheered as Genma announced Naruto's victory. Naruto said his thank yous as he walked passed everyone in the Waiting Area to help Neji to the Medical Ward. Sasuke was behind him.

"Please, take good care of him." Naruto asked of the medical nins.

They nodded before taking the unconscious Hyuga male and leaving Naruto alone.

"_**You did good out there."**_

Naruto didn't jump because he knew that his Sasuke was the speaker. The fox turned around with a smile and stared at his lover.

"You really think so?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded before pushing off the wall and moving towards Naruto. But when Sasuke got close enough, he punched Naruto in the face. "Hey what was that~" Naruto was cut off when Sasuke's soft lips touched his in a gentle kiss. But, before Naruto could kiss back, Sasuke pulled away with his fist still gripping the front of Naruto's jacket.

"Don't ever scare me like that again. But, I'm proud of you." Was all Sasuke said before turning and walking back to the Waiting Area. Naruto was too stunned to move until Sasuke's voice called out to him. "Hey idiot, come on. The next match is about to start."

Naruto snapped out of his trance before running to catch up with Sasuke.

…

…

…

"The match between Kankuro and Shino is next!" Genma announced.

"I respectfully decline." Kankuro smirked.

"What?!" Everyone in the Waiting Area gasped.

"Are you sure?" Genma asked with a cough.

"Yes. This is not a battle I would want to fight." Kankuro answered, causing the crowd to boo.

"Very well. Since Kankuro forfeits, Shino Aburame wins by default and the next match will be between… Temari and Shikamaru Nara!" Genma announced.

"Awe man, what a drag." Shikamaru complained.

"This should be fun." Temari smirked as she made her way down to the field.

"Shikamaru Nara, please make your way to the center field." Genma commanded.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming." The deer boy sighed before making his way to the center field. "What's the point. Can't I just forfeit and go cloud watch or something?"

"What's the matter? Afraid to fight me? Hn. You're pathetic. You don't even deserve to be here." Temari smirked.

"Do you really want to fight me or do you not want those days of watching me to go to waste?" Shika teased.

"A little bit of both, but would you believe that I just want to see your blood splatter across this ground?" Temari's smirk widen as she tighten her grip on her fan.

Shikamaru took a deep sigh as he stuffed his hands further in his pockets. "I see, so it doesn't matter to you that we're only appetizers for the main course. Well, I guess then that it can't be helped. And I so just wanted to let you win and go cloud watch somewhere, but your spunkiness is making me complete…" That's when Shika pulled out two kunai and held them in his right hand. "By the way… I dislike spunky girls."

"Oh yeah? Well then… you're going to despise me." Temari laughed as she readied herself for her attack.

"Let this battle between Temari and Shikamaru Nara commence!" Genma announced.

Temari rushed at him with great speed, the crowd was cheering the battle on, but all Shika wanted to do was watch the clouds… with envy…

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Just Once"**_**…**

Temari and Shikamaru's fight and also the fight between Sasuke and Gaara.


	19. The Finals Continue

**Sorry That I Uploaded the Wrong Chapter Everyone! Here's the Real One!**

**Warnings for This Chapter: Normal.**

**Disclaimer:** Sadly I do not own any of the characters from Naruto just this plotline.

**Author Shout Outs:**

**The people who reviewed: Uchiha Hinata21, Random Person, Cora Bug, HinaLuvLuvChan, and Girl Supersonicboy.**

And thanks to everyone that is reading this story, but are not reviewing. I hope that maybe one day you'll be able to review so I know whose reading.** I'd also like to quickly thank Bosslady Dollface for being my Beta and doing some work on the story. Okay, on with fic!**

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only try It Once'**_**…**

"The match between Kankuro and Shino is next!" Genma announced.

"I respectfully decline." Kankuro smirked.

"What?!" Everyone in the Waiting Area gasped.

"Are you sure?" Genma asked with a cough.

"Yes. This is not a battle I would want to fight." Kankuro answered, causing the crowd to boo.

"Very well, Since Kankuro forfeits, Shino Aburame win by default and the next match will be between Temari and Shikamaru Nara!" Genma announced.

"Awe man what a drag." Shikamaru complained.

"This should be fun." Temari smirked as she made her way down to the field.

"Shikamaru Nara, please make your way to the center field." Genma commanded.

"Alright, alright I'm coming." The deer boy sighed before making his way to the center field.

"What's the point. Can't I just forfeit and go cloud watch or something?"

"What's the matter? Afraid to fight me? Ha! You're pathetic. You don't even deserve to be here." Temari smirked.

"Do you really want to fight me or are you just afraid those days of watching me to go to waste?" Shika teased.

"A little bit of both, but would you believe me if I said I just want to see your blood splattered across this arena's ground?" Temari's smirk widen as she tighten her grip on her fan.

Shikamaru took a deep sigh as he stuffed his hands further in his pockets. "I see, so it doesn't matter to you that we're only appetizers for the main course. Well, I guess then that it can't be helped. And I was just going to let you win so I could go cloud watch somewhere, but your spunk is making me reconsider." That's when Shika pulled out two kunai and held them in his right hand. "By the way… I dislike spunky girls."

"Oh yeah? Well then, Temari smirked, "You're going to despise me." Temari laughed as she readied herself for her attack.

"Let the battle between Temari and Shikamaru Nara commence!" Genma announced.

Temari rushed at him with great speed, the crowd was cheering the battle on, but all Shikamaru didn't care all he wanted to do was watch the clouds…

**Chapter 18: The Finals Continue**

**Normal P.O.V.**

Shikamaru stood his ground as Temari rushed towards him. The grip on his kunai made his knuckles turn white. All he could think about is laying in the grass somewhere enjoying his favourite hobby. But, since his opponent, Temari was such an eager beaver; Shikamaru had to compete against his will.

"Oh well, might as well get this show on the road." The shadow caster sighed.

When Temari was close enough, she jumped up and slammed her giant fan on top of Shikamaru. The crowd gasped when the dust cleared and they saw the lazy genin standing on the weasel girl's fan.

"Ya know… I couldn't really give a damn about becoming a chunin. In fact, no one here cares whether we win or not. Everyone here just wants to see Sasuke's fight with that creepy sand kid. But I'm sure you already know this. To be honest, I didn't even want to be here, but since I am and since I am forced to participate in this fight… I've decided that I can't allow myself to lose to a female like you." Shikamaru smirked.

"What the hell is that supposed to me?!" Temari glared angrily.

"It means that you're not worth the effort."

"**You're going to pay for that!"** Temari growled before she raised her foot to kick her opponent off of her fan.

Shika back flipped out of the way, throwing his kunai in the process. The weasel girl rose her fan, opened it, and used the force she'd created to blow the kunais back towards Shika. More dust was created, but after it cleared, the deer boy was gone.

"Where did he go?"

"_**Looking for me?"**_ Shika smirked from his position against the wall, several feet behind Temari.

This made the dirty blond haired girl laugh as she turned around to face him. "You're pretty quick to run away."

"_**Running away**_ is such an unpleasant expression. I prefer the term, _**strategizing.**_ Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!" He yelled as he kneeled down and used some hand signs to stretch his shadow.

Temari's eyes widen when she saw the black line coming for her. She silently admitted that when she first saw this technique, she was very impressed with its ability. That's why she wanted to study him over the past month. Since the Preliminary Matches, Temari was hoping that she would get the chance to fight the shadow user. She practically trained herself to defeat him. And now her chance has come. Not only was she fighting him, but she would also be able to test her strategy against his technique.

Before the stretching shadow could reach her, Temari kept flipping backwards until the shadow couldn't reach her. Shikamaru cussed and panted while bringing his shadow back to him. Temari smirked as she used the edge of her fan to make a line on the ground.

"I see… So you're 'special' technique has a limit, no matter how thin you make it, your shadow manipulation will only go so far. That's and interesting fact to know."

"You're an evil woman."

"It only took you this long to figure that out? Ninja Art: Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled, moving her fan to create a large, powerful, and deadly tornado of wind.

Shika used his arms to defend himself, hissing each time the wind cut him. When the wind stopped blowing and the dust cleared, Shikamaru had fallen to his knees in a panting fit.

"Damn. She's not only tough, but so is her wind element. I have to think of a way around it." Shika cursed.

"**DON'T GIVE UP, SHIKAMARU!**" Naruto cheered with great excitement.

"You had better sound this enthusiastic when you're cheering for me when I fight." Sasuke said with his arms crossed.

"_**I don't think you want me cheering this much when it's your turn. I might say some things that will throw you off."**_ Naruto teased in a husky voice with his face close to Sasuke's.

The raven blushed at how close they were before tsking and pushing Naruto's face away from his. "On second thought… don't say a word when I fight."

"No promises." Naruto smirked as he turned his attention back to the fight.

"**COME ON SHIKAMARU! SHOW HER YOUR PASSION AND POWER! YOU CAN DO IT!"** Ino cheered from the stance.

"So, what are you going to do? You're Shadow Possession can only reach so far and There's no other shadow here for you to manipulate. You might as well forfeit and save yourself the embarrassment." Temari smirked widely.

"You want to know what my next move is girly?" Shikamaru asked as he pulled out two more kunai. "Well here it is."

He threw the kunai at her. Temari used her fan to defect them. And when she looked up, Shikamaru was gone. "Where did you go?! You can't hide from me forever!" The angry girl screamed as she unleashed multiple Wind Scythe attacks towards the wall. The wind made deep cuts into the bark and even cut off a lot of branches, but at the end of everything Shikamaru was still nowhere to be found. "Come out and fight! Or are you too much of a coward to do so?!" Temari's angry and scanning eyes searched the area carefully.

"**Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!"** Shikamaru yelled out.

"You just a one trick, crowdedly pony I see." Temari smirked as she took up guard behind her fan. But, as the shadow came closer and closer to the line she drew, he heart began to race. "What hell?" Temari jumped began to jump back until his shadow could no longer reach her.

"Damn. I almost had her." Shika cursed.

"_How in the hell did he almost catch me?"_ Temari asked herself as she scanned the area around him. That's when she noticed it.

Shikamaru's attention snapped when he heard her laughing. "What's so funny?"

She continued to laugh, even as she stood up. "Very clever of you. Now I get it. You weren't just running away and hiding. You were biding your time until the sun lowered and made the wall's shadow longer. So knowing that now… I guess it's pretty obvious what's going on. The longer the shadow the longer you reach. I must say nice ability but, it will not help you in this fight. I'll just have to make sure not to come within your range. I'm a better long range attacker anyway."

"You're starting to become a bigger pain in my ass. But one thing you should never do… is piss off someone with an IQ of over 200." Shika smiled.

"Temari! Above you!" Kankuro warned.

"Oh Shit!" She cursed a she looked up.

Floating above her was his jacket, allowing him to create and expand his shadow. She cursed more as she kept jumping backwards to dodge his shadow. Soon, the makeshift parachute descended to the ground, making Shikamaru's shadow stop just a few inches before touching hers.

"I must say you learn pretty quickly… for a girl" Shika said as he retracted his shadow. "And you're fast too I didn't think this battle was going to take this long. How troublesome."

"Did you really think that this was going to be easy? Well, I think it's time we finish it. I can't let this battle drag out too long. The longer we go, the longer your reach becomes." She stood up while opening her fan. "I can't let that happen."

"I must say it's refreshing seeing a girl who's a strategist instead of flirting or fighting over some guy, like a lot of the girls here. It's refreshing and almost… cute well if you weren't so spunky. I would've thought that you're less troublesome the girls in this village. Almost… dateable. "

Temari blushed at his smirk and comment before pulling her fan in front of her. "You and the stupid shit you say to piss me off. I'm going to shut you up for good."

Temari raise her fan and was about use her Wind Scythe again, but suddenly her movements halted. "I got you." Temari's eyes widen as she stared at her opponent. "Confused? Why don't you look behind you?" The girl did as she was told and turned her head. But, when she did, her eyes widen further. The shadow that captured him came from the hole behind her. "Recognize it?" It's the hole Naruto dug during his fight with Neji. I saw that you forgot that I can control the shadows underground too. Noting this helped me stay three steps ahead of you."

"You've out smarted me?! How could a lazy, good for nothing slacker like you outsmart me?!" Temari gasped as Shikamaru made her throw down her fan.

"Like I said, never piss off someone who has an IQ over 200." Shika smirked.

The deer teen walked towards Temari, causing her to do the same. Soon they stood face to face with each other. Temari was shaking in her sandals when Shikamaru made her raise her hand. Every worse possibility and scenario ran through her head at this point, but the question that plagued her mind the most was what was Shikamaru going to do to her.

"Relax would you. I'm not going to hurt you."

"What?"

"I, Shikamaru Nara, forfeit."

Everyone in the stance and Temari was shocked his words. They thought that he was about to finish Temari off and claim victor, but that wasn't the case here. After recovering from his shock, Genma walked over to the pair.

"Are you sure you want to forfeit?" He asked.

"Yeah. I barely have enough chakra left." Was all Shikamaru said before releasing his jutsu and falling to the ground.

"Everyone! Our winner is Temari from the Sand!" Genma announced.

The crowd cheered at the announcement, not because of who won this match but because of who the next one was between. Genma was about to call for a medical team to come out, but Temari stopped him.

"I'll take him." She offered before bending down to support him on her left side. The pair made their way out the arena and towards the medical ward when Temari spoke. "You can open your eyes now, you big faker."

Shikamaru opened one eye before removing himself from her hold. "Thanks for carrying me here. It's been a pleasure." He said as he turned around.

"Wait." Temari called, causing the deer boy to stop and slightly turn to face him. "Are you really out of chakra or did you throw the match?"

Shikamaru threw his head back slowly before turning to fully face her. "I told you before didn't I don't really care if I became a chunin or not. It's true that I was running out of chakra, but it wasn't close to being depleted."

"So why did you quit then, why didn't you finish me off?" Temari asked.

"Finishing off girls isn't really my thing. I don't really like fighting girls, I mean what kind of person would I did. Besides," With his hands in his pockets, Shikamaru walked close enough to whisper in her pointed, white ear. "I was just satisfied in knowing that I could beat someone just as smart as me."

Temari's blush deepened after feeling his breath brush against her ear. His compliments and words rang in her head over and over and distracted her so much that she missed Shikamaru leaving. When she finally snapped out of it, she looked around and noticed he was nowhere to be found. With one last look, Temari shook her head free from those thoughts and made her way back to her brothers.

"That jerk… always making me off guard."

…

…

"The next match will be between Gaara of the Sand and Sasuke Uchiha! Will the two contestants please enter the arena so that we can get the last match started!" Genma announced.

"Well, looks like it's my turn." Sasuke smirked.

"The match everyone came to see. I'm actually curious to see how you stack up Uchiha." Shino said while pushing his glasses up.

"Don't worry about me. With the training I've been doing, there's no way he could win against me." And with that Sasuke turned to make his way to the entrance of the arena.

Naruto didn't have to watch Gaara to sense the killer instinct radiating off of him. He didn't know if anyone else could sense just how ready he was to kill Sasuke, but Naruto could. The desire was so powerful that Naruto was practically chocking on it. But, what could he expect from the deranged vessel of the One-Tailed Raccoon Dog.

The two stopped and stared at each other before they reached the entrance. Gaara's smirk was crooked and had a menacing trait to it. Sasuke no longer had a smirk. On his face was a hard glare. The hardest he could make it without giving away the chills and slight fear coursing from the tips of his toes and tail to the very point of his black ears.

"_**Sasuke Uchiha… I'm going to enjoy… bringing your demise."**_ Gaara whispered dangerously before entering the entrance way of the arena.

Sasuke watched him leave. He had to give himself a minute to steel himself. With one violent shake, Sasuke was able to control his nerves.

"_**What's the matter Sasuke, Scared?**_ Naruto teased with a smirk.

Sasuke turned around to face his lover, who was leaning against the wall with one foot on the wall and his arms folded. "Of course not, he doesn't scare me."

"Stop acting so brave all the time. You don't have to ya know." Naruto pushed off the wall and moved to stand in front of Sasuke and placed a comforting hand on his raven's cheek stroking his thumb across it softly. "I know you're scared, everyone is. You don't have to be brave. You just have to remain calm, stay focused, and keep on your toes. He's a dangerous son of a bitch and he wants your blood. Since I don't know much about him, I can't help you devise a strategy, but I can tell you this. Watch out for his sand. It creates a strong barrier around him the minute you get close enough. Also, do **NOT** underestimate him. He has a power deep inside of him that allows him to be even more dangerous than he already is. Please be careful, Sasuke. The last thing I want to do is visit you in the hospital."

Sasuke nodded as he covered Naruto's hand with his own and slowly slid it off. "Don't worry, Naruto. I'll beat him without being too injured. I promise. I'll win. You can be sure of that."

"I know you will." Naruto smirked as he leaned forward and gave Sasuke a gentle kiss. "Good luck."

Sasuke watched Naruto go back to the waiting area with his hands in his pocket. Once the blond fox was gone, Sasuke swallowed a large lump in his throat and chanted Naruto's advice in his head. Usually, Sasuke would have a strategy to win against someone as strong as Gaara, but since he knew nothing about the red head, he was willing to except any advice given to him for this battle. He just hoped that he could apply it and use it to his advantage along with the improvements he'd acquired while training with Kakashi.

Sasuke walked onto the field, the sound of his heart beat and rushing blood was louder than the cheering crowd. He just hoped that he could keep his promise to Naruto and not wind up in the hospital or worse…

…

…

…

"Are you two ready?" Genma asked.

"Let's get this over with." Sasuke said as he moved his head from side to side and cracked his neck.

Gaara nodded. "Good." Genma nodded in return, lifted up his hand and looked between the two of them before lowering his hand. "Begin!"

"_**Let me be the one to start us off."**_ Gaara smirked as he let his sand leak out of his gourd.

Sasuke jumped back as more and more sand began to gather. _"So, this is the sand that damaged Rock Lee. I have to make sure that I keep my distance if I want to win."_

More sand gathered, but what caught Sasuke's attention was the mumbling Gaara was doing while holding his head in his hands. _**"I'm so sorry, Mother. I know I feed you some very bad blood. Please don't be angry with me. But, I promise to make it up to you. I'll offer the Uchiha blood as an apology. Please Mother. Please."**_

"_What the hell is he mumbling about?"_ Sasuke asked to himself. Something told him that all that mumbling Gaara was doing, wasn't a good thing.

The conversation between Gaara and the One-Tail continued for a little while longer before the gathering sand dropped to the floor. This confused Sasuke even more. This also made Sasuke believe that this guy was even more unpredictable than he and Naruto had first thought.

Gaara slowly lifted his head from his hand and took a deep breath. **"Sorry about that. We can get started now."**

Sasuke watched as the sand that was dropped was picked up and began to surround him, but he didn't want the red head to get the advantage. He reached into his pouch and pulled out two ninja stars and threw them at him. Gaara stood perfectly still, allowing his sand to create an impenetrable shield. Sasuke used this time to try and attack Gaara directly, but a sand clone of Gaara appeared in front of him. Sasuke raised his leg to kick the clone, quickly balancing himself when his foot went through the clone. While balancing himself, Sasuke flipped so that he was standing on his feet. He thrust his fist forward, slightly shocked that the sand began to engulf his hand, before using his other hand to display the clone. Once Gaara was the last one standing, Sasuke riled his fist back. And right when the sand was about to connect with his hand… Sasuke disappeared.

"**Where did he go?"** Gaara asked while scanning the arena.

"**Up here!"** Sasuke yelled from above Gaara.

As Sasuke descended from the air and punched Gaara in the face. The force behind Sasuke's punch sent Gaara flying back several feet. Sasuke landed on all fours. Gaara lay on the ground for a few minutes before finally getting up.

"**You've become faster since the last time I saw you. You seem almost as fast as your bushy browed friend. It makes me thirst for your blood even more."** Gaara chuckled evilly.

"Bring it on." Sasuke smirked.

Gaara gave a mighty roar as he shot his sand towards Sasuke. The raven feline rushed towards the sand, managing to jump over it and disappear before reappearing behind Gaara.

"**Too slow."** Sasuke smirked. The raven haired teen lifted his leg and scissor kicked Gaara several feet away. _**"I'm going to tear off all your armor off."**_

With his enhanced speed, Sasuke was able to literally run circles around Gaara. The red haired raccoon dog's eyes or his sand couldn't keep up. To protect himself, Gaara used his sand to try and make a shield, but Sasuke was too fast. He entered Gaara's unfinished sand dome and unleashed violent attacks upon the smaller male's body.

Sasuke's fist riled back before connecting with Gaara's cracking cheek. Then he gave a hard shot to the red head's torso with his elbow. And finally, with an iron grip, Sasuke grabbed hold of Gaara's shirt to pull his head down and knee him in the face. Gaara grunted as he flew away from the Uchiha and hit the ground.

Sasuke panted as he watched Gaara hit the ground. The air around him was quiet, but he didn't notice. The only sound in his head was the sound of his labored breaths and the pounding of his heart. He didn't even care that everyone was too shocked to cheer. He didn't even care he could feel the consequences of using that speed constantly taking some of its toll. The only thing he cared about was defeating this demon.

Sasuke watched with determined eyes as Gaara slowly began to stand up. The raccoon dog glared at Sasuke as he laced his fingers in a hand sign.

Seeing this, Sasuke acted. "Oh no you don't!" With his fist riled back, Sasuke ran towards the giant ball of sand and thrust forward to punch the ball of sand. Bu, Sasuke was in for a surprise.

The giant ball created long spikes where Sasuke had punched slashing at his arm, he hissed in pain at the pain shooting from his fist. The dome was much harder than he thought and it caused a sharp pain to shoot through his arm. Sasuke was just grateful he hadn't broken his arm in the process.

"Damn. I didn't think his sand dome would be that hard." Sasuke cursed after jumping away from the protective dome. He looked at his hand; his knuckles were a little bloody but nothing to serious. He shook his hand until the pain became a barely noticeable dulling sensation. "I have to think of a way to get around that thing. But just as Sasuke had started to think up a plan, he looked up and saw an eye forming from sand. "What~ What the hell is that thing?"

"Damn it Gaara! How could you use that technique! You're going to blow our plan!" Temari growled with her hands clenched into fists.

"This is bad. This is really bad." Kankuro growled as well.

"_What are they talking about? What plan?"_ Naruto thought to himself.

"_**Oh no…"**_

"_What's wrong, Kyuubi?"_ Naruto asked.

"_**Kit. You need to tell Sasuke to get out of there."**_ Kyuubi warned.

"_What's the matter? Do you know what plan they're talking about?"_

"_**I know nothing of their plan. But, I do know that technique… It's called the Third Eye. It's a dangerous technique. And whenever he uses it… it means he's planning on killing his opponent."**_Kyuubi answered.

"_No."_ Naruto gasped. He turned his head to see that Sasuke was using his Sharingan to get leverage while trying to attack the dome, but nothing was working. _"Sasuke, can you hear me?"_

"_What is it Naruto? I'm kind of busy right now."_ Sasuke grunted as he continued to attack the dome.

"_Listen to me Sasuke. You have to forfeit the match."_

"_Are you insane! Why would I do that? I'm just buying some time before I unleash my final attack."_

"_No, you have to forfeit now! That attack Gaara is using is used when he's about to kill his opponent and what's worse is that Gaara and his siblings have a plan against you. Please Sasuke, forfeit."_ Naruto pleaded.

Sasuke stopped his attack to stare at Naruto. From the arena, Sasuke could see the concern Naruto held for him and it struck him in his heart.

"_I'm sorry Naruto, but I can't forfeit. But I will end this battle now… with my final attack."_ Sasuke said as he unhooked the bands around his bandaged arm.

"_Sasuke!~"_ Naruto yelled, frustrated when Sasuke cut the connection. Naruto gripped the railing to the point his knuckles turned white. _**"You'd better not die, Sasuke. You better not die." The blond fox growled.**_

"_**Alright you insane lunatic."**_ Sasuke started before running up the side of the wall. "It's time to put you down for good." The raven feline took a deep breath. His hands began forming the necessary hand signs to execute his final attack. His right hand gripped his left wrist as he focused his chakra into it. Lightning began to form around his hand and create a crater where his hand was. When Sasuke yanked his hand back, the force of lightning made a line within the wall. _**"Here I come! Chidori!"**_

With great force behind his feet, Sasuke sped down the wall and towards Gaara, creating damage to the wall and ground as he went. He made it to Gaara's dome of sand, he used his Chidori to pierce it and hit Gaara with it.

"**GAARA!" **Temari and Kankuro screamed in terror.

No one had ever pierced Gaara's defenses. They were scared for their little brother's well-being. Sasuke smirked as he pulled his arm out, but stopped as he noticed the sand surrounding started them to go back into his gourd. When it was all in, Gaara dropped to his knees while holding his shoulder.

"Gaara's hurt, Kankuro. We have to go save him." The crow boy nodded at his sisters words before both of them jumped to their brother's rescue. "Don't worry, Gaara we've got you."

"Hey, what are you two doing? I haven't decided a winner yet. This match is still continuing." Genma.

"Sorry, but we've gotta jet. Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled as she swung her fan at the proctor. Genma was flung back against the wall and became unconscious upon impact. "Let's get out of here, Kankuro."

"Right." The two siblings grabbed their brother and disappeared from the arena.

"Hey wait! Come back here!" Sasuke was about to take off after them, but stopped when Naruto called to him.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked when he approached his raven.

"I'm going after them."

"No you're not! I told you that he's dangerous and I'm not going to have you wind up in the hospital anywhere! Besides, something weird is going on around here. Let's try and figure out what's going on first." Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke by his wrist.

"Don't talk to me like I'm some child, Naruto." Sasuke glared after snatching his wrist away.

"I'm not talking to you like a child. I'm talking to as a boyfriend. I already told you I don't want to see you hurt and I'll be damned if that Gaara bastard lays a hand on you." Naruto growled back. Sasuke folded his arms and turned away from Naruto. "Look, I know you're upset right now, but please help me make sure everything is alright here first. If you do that, then I'll go with you to take on all three siblings, deal?"

Sasuke thought it over for a moment or two before turning back to Naruto with a sigh. "Fine."

Naruto nodded and turned his head when Shino, Sakura, and Shikamaru came running towards them.

"Sasuke are you ok?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine." Sasuke sighed as he turned to the group. "So, what's going on?"

"Apparently someone used genjutsu to put the whole audience to sleep." The group of five turned to face Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kakashi standing before them.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura gasped.

"Asuma?" Shikamaru said monotonously.

"Guy?" Shino said calmly.

"Pervy Sage?" Naruto gasped.

"Sorry, but we don't have time for chit-chat. It seems we have a problem on our hands. Someone just put everyone in the stands to sleep. That must mean that we're about to be attacked." Kakashi stated with slight worry in his voice.

Sakura began to look around in confusion. "Hey. Where are the Sand Siblings?"

"They escaped and are getting further and further away as we stand here and talk." Sasuke said with irritation in his voice.

"Sasuke's right. Naruto take Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Shino with you. Capture and bring them back here as quickly as possible." Jiraiya ordered.

"How troublesome, do I have to go?" Shikamaru drawled.

"Yes. They can use all the help they can get, especially with Gaara." Asuma answered.

"Fine, but it'll be a total drag."

"What are you guys going to do while we're tracking them down?" Shino asked.

"We'll be here to protect the village; Now go! You need to hurry and catch up to them." Guy commanded.

Everyone nodded before speeding off to catch up to the Sand Siblings. The adults waited until they were out of ear shout before turning to stare at the sleeping audience in the stance.

"Just what the hell is going on here? Who would be attacking us at this time or all times?" Asuma asked.

"I believe I might know and if I'm right… then we better be on our toes." Jiraiya stated.

"You don't think it's _**him**_ do you?" Kakashi asked.

"I do." Jiraiya nodded.

"Then we better get started before he makes things even messier for us." Kakashi sighed with his hands in his pockets.

"I just hope the kids will be alright against those three." Asuma shrugged, putting out his cigarette.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine. If anything… it's us we need to be worrying about… especially if the person attacking us is who I think it is. Come. We don't have a second to waist."

The group nodded at Jiraiya's words before speeding off to take care of business.

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on 'Let's Only Try It Once'…**

The gang fight the Sand Siblings


	20. Poll Info

Poll Info:

Thanks to everyone who voted in my poll. It really makes me feel loved, appreciated, and that people are actually reading my work and that I'm not wasting my time here. You guys really are the best. The winner for my 2012 poll was NaruSasu (Naru-seme, Sasuke-uke). I will be posting the one-shot I have for the couple sometime soon.

The Top 10 from My Poll:

1) NaruSasu (68-16%)

2) SasuNaru (46-11%)

3) NejiGaara (25-6%)

4) KyuuItac (23-5%)

5) ItacKyuu (21-5%)

6) KakaIru (20-4%)

7) ShikaKiba (15-3%)

8) SessInu (15-3%)

9) ShikaTemari (15-3%)

10) KibaHin (11-2%)

Thanks again for voting, but now it's time for another poll. This one, however is totally up to you, my fans. On this poll you are allowed to choose up to 5 couples from the list of 10. Whichever couple wins, I will ask my fans what they would like for me to do with the couple. I will anything from a one-shot, song fic, lengthy story, or anything my fans want to see. When a winner is chosen, I will put another poll up to see what everyone wants for this couple. After that... I will be asking everyone for ideas. More details will come about when it is time for the second poll and anything after that. This poll will be closing on March 13th, 2013. So, the only thing I have left to say is good luck to all the couples, happy voting, and please continue to read and review my stories. I love you guys ^^3!

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

I'm sorry for the confusion to you guys. I was wondering why the past few days I was receiving people's lists of their choices. You guys were supposed to vote on the poll on my profile. I just edited so that it displays on my profile, so it should be up there by time you read this. I'm so sorry about the confusion again. But, if you go on my profile and the poll is not there, please send me a PM and I will go in and correct the problem. Once again, please forgive me for being an idiot and not checking on that. Happy voting once again.

**Few Words from Author to Reviewer:**

Also, I would like to express something to the _**GUEST **_that reviewed my **Bleach** story _**'Three Little Words'**_. I know that that story was not the best and full of mistakes, but that was when I was still getting the hang of writing. But to say that I am too young to be writing stories is an insult and you should not have taken it that far. FYI, I am 18 years old now, but when I wrote it I was 15. I read it after posting it and realized that it wasn't the best and needs some work, but I have not gotten around to doing so. I've been busy improving my writing skills and gaining more experience. And to say that I cannot write is also another harsh blow. I know that you were just being honest, and I respect that, but you could have at least looked at some of my most recent work instead of criticizing something I wrote on a whim and that is three years old. Next time, please take care in what you say and what you know, because you could start a war. I, on the other hand, do not care that you thought my story sucked, but I did take what you said into consideration and will hopefully find time to edit my past stories. Otherwise, please take the advice I give you seriously and please try a more gentle approach when reviewing people's work. There are some young writers on here, then just need a little help expanding their wings. I do not always like the way people write or think that some of their work is a little juvenile, but at least I don't tell them that they shouldn't be writing. People actually kill themselves because of comments like that.


	21. Invasion of Konoha

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Nothing special.

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry for not updating like I wanted to. I am also sorry for teasing some of you with my author's note. To make up for it, here is a new chapter.

**Author's Shout Outs:**

_**Black Star's Wife, Girl Supersonicboy, Ellieandra, Random Person, BlackStarKid, Peacock Slayer, Dela1, GunsAndROSES2656, and Eternal Winggoddess.**_

_**Random Person #2, Tsyilna Llyria, and 9**_ I'm sorry about accidently uploading the wrong chapter last time, so I hope you enjoy this new one instead. I would also like to thank _**Random Person #2**_ for thinking that my Invader Zim chapter was cute. Greatly appreciated.

**Beta for this Chapter: **_**BossLady DollFace**_

**Beta Note: **

Hey. Dollface here. I'd like to apologize for the wait, _**Badbutt94**_ sent me the story about 2 weeks ago and I took forever to send it back, so this is my fault. I'm sorry and it won't happen again.

**Author Note #2:**

_**Badbutt94**_ here to apologize, also, for the wait. Since the chapter didn't get to me until last night 3/20/13, I decided to wait until I get Chapter 20 back before posting this. Call it as a 'we're sorry' gift to all of the fans of this story. So, I hope you all enjoy the treat of reading two awesome beta edited stories by an awesome beta for this story. Now, without any further adieu here's Chapter 19!

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**...**

No one had ever pierced Gaara's defenses. They were scared for their little brother's well-being. Sasuke smirked as he pulled his arm out, but stopped as he noticed the sand surrounding started them to go back into his gourd. When it was all in, Gaara dropped to his knees while holding his shoulder.

"Gaara's hurt, Kankuro. We have to go save him." The crow boy nodded at his sisters words before both of them jumped to their brother's rescue. "Don't worry, Gaara we've got you."

"Hey, what are you two doing? I haven't decided a winner yet. This match is still continuing." Genma shouted.

"Sorry, but we've gotta jet. Wind Scythe Jutsu!" Temari yelled as she swung her fan at the proctor. Genma was flung back against the wall and became unconscious upon impact. "Let's get out of here, Kankuro."

"Right." The two siblings grabbed their brother and disappeared from the arena.

"Hey wait! Come back here!" Sasuke was about to take off after them, but stopped when Naruto called to him.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked when he approached his raven.

"I'm going after them."

"No you're not! I told you that he's dangerous and I'm not going to have you wind up in the hospital anywhere! Besides, something weird is going on around here. Let's try and figure out what's going on first." Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke by his wrist.

"Don't talk to me like I'm some child, Naruto." Sasuke glared after snatching his wrist away.

"I'm not talking to you like a child. I'm talking to as a boyfriend. I already told you I don't want to see you hurt and I'll be damned if that Gaara bastard lays a hand on you." Naruto growled back. Sasuke folded his arms and turned away from Naruto. "Look, I know you're upset right now, but please help me make sure everything is alright here first. If you do that, then I'll go with you to take on all three siblings, deal?"

Sasuke thought it over for a moment or two before turning back to Naruto with a sigh. "Fine."

Naruto nodded and turned his head when Shino, Sakura, and Shikamaru came running towards them.

"Sasuke are you ok?" Sakura asked.

"I'm fine." Sasuke sighed as he turned to the group. "So, what's going on?"

"Apparently someone used genjutsu to put the whole audience to sleep." The group of five turned to face Kakashi, Guy, Asuma, and Kakashi standing before them.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura gasped.

"Asuma?" Shikamaru said monotonously.

"Guy?" Shino said calmly.

"Pervy Sage?" Naruto gasped.

"Sorry, but we don't have time for chit-chat. It seems we have a problem on our hands. Someone just put everyone in the stands to sleep. That must mean that we're about to be attacked." Kakashi stated with slight worry in his voice.

Sakura began to look around in confusion. "Hey. Where are the Sand Siblings?"

"They escaped and are getting further and further away as we stand here and talk." Sasuke said with irritation in his voice.

"Sasuke's right. Naruto take Sasuke, Sakura, Shikamaru, and Shino with you. Capture and bring them back here as quickly as possible." Jiraiya ordered.

"How troublesome, do I have to go?" Shikamaru drawled.

"Yes. They can use all the help they can get, especially with Gaara." Asuma answered.

"Fine, but it'll be a total drag."

"What are you guys going to do while we're tracking them down?" Shino asked.

"We'll be here to protect the village; Now go! You need to hurry and catch up to them." Guy commanded.

Everyone nodded before speeding off to catch up to the Sand Siblings. The adults waited until they were out of ear shout before turning to stare at the sleeping audience in the stance.

"Just what the hell is going on here? Who would be attacking us at this time or all times?" Asuma asked.

"I believe I might know and if I'm right… then we better be on our toes." Jiraiya stated.

"You don't think it's _**him**_ do you?" Kakashi asked.

"I do." Jiraiya nodded.

"Then we better get started before he makes things even messier for us." Kakashi sighed with his hands in his pockets.

"I just hope the kids will be alright against those three." Asuma shrugged, putting out his cigarette.

"Don't worry. They'll be fine. If anything… it's us we need to be worrying about… especially if the person attacking us is who I think it is. Come. We don't have a second to waist."

The group nodded at Jiraiya's words before speeding off to take care of business.

**Onto New Chapter of **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

**Chapter 19: Invasion of Konoha**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"How much longer till we reach them?" Sakura asked aloud as the group of five sped through the trees.

"Not much further. I can sense them up ahead." Naruto responded.

"_**I can't wait until I get my hands on that raccoon, eyebrow less freak. I'm going to run my chidori right through his heart." **_Sasuke growled with his fists clenched.

"_Sasuke… Please calm down. You being angry will not help us win against them."_

Sasuke looked at Naruto's pleading face and calmed down. _"You're right… I'm sorry."_

Naruto smiled lightly and nodded before turning back towards the front.

"What will we do when we find them?" Sakura asked.

"Since Gaara is already wounded, thanks to Sasuke, all we have to do is stop Temari and Kankuro. Once all of them are dealt with we're going to take them back to Konoha for questioning." Shikamaru replied.

"Watch out!" Shino suddenly shouted.

But before anyone could understand why, explosions began to set off all around them. Some of them were barely able to dodge some of them. After about ten explosions went off, everyone was separated and panting heavily.

"Well that was certainly close." Shino said calmly.

"Hell yeah it was. I thought we were in some serious trouble for a second." Naruto panted with his hand over his heart.

Shikamaru went to where one of the explosions went off and looked at the wire and damage. "Temari must've set these up. I suspected she might do something like this." He said while playing with the wire.

"She must have set these up to buy them some more time." Sakura deduced.

"They know we're close." Sasuke concluded.

"We need to hurry. They're getting away." Shino commanded.

Everyone nodded before speeding after them again.

…

…

…

"Keep moving, Kankuro! They're right behind us!" Temari commanded.

"I'm going as fast as I can. Gaara maybe small, but he's not light." The crow hybrid gestured to their unconscious brother.

Suddenly, a kunai landed in a tree next to them. "What the~"

"**STOP RIGHT THERE!"** Naruto yelled as the group of five stopped before them. "This is as far as you're going."

"Temari, take Gaara and leave these guys to me." Kankuro ordered as he handed her the red haired raccoon hybrid.

"Are you sure, will you be alright?"

"Just go. I'll hold them off. You and Gaara need to escape."

Temari nodded at her brother's request before speeding off.

"Hey wait!" Sakura yelled.

"You guys go on a head and catch her. I'll deal with him." Shino said as he readied his bugs.

"Are you sure Shino?" Shikamaru asked.

"I'll be fine. Go! Before they get away." Shino ordered. Everyone nodded before moving to catch up to Temari and Gaara. "So, it's come to this." Shino said once they were out of ear shot.

"I don't want to fight you, Shino. But, in order to protect my family… I will." Kankuro pulled out his puppet Crow, and readied himself to fight.

"I guess we get to finally see how the advice worked for us." Shino glared through his glasses.

"I would've preferred not to, but I guess it can't be helped. I hope you're ready."

Shino took a deep breath before answering. "As ready as I'll ever be."

…

…

…

Temari ran as fast as her tired body would carry the two of them. She thought that she had sped so far ahead of them, but a kunai landing next to her foot said otherwise.

"_**Come now, Temari. Do you really think that you could escape me?"**_ The dirty blond turned around to see that the smirk on Shikamaru's face gave away that he was the one who threw the kunai.

"How did you~"

"Catch up with you? Simple… I guess you're just that predictable." Shikamaru continued to smirk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out two more kunai. "You three capture Gaara. I'll take down Temari."

"Do you honestly think you can defeat me? You're chakra is still low from our battle. You can't possibly hope to take me own by yourself." Temari smirked as she set Gaara down onto the branch.

"It's funny. You are by far the most intelligent girl I've ever met and yet you know so little." Shikamaru said with amusement in his voice. "Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, capture Gaara now."

"Right. Ok let's~"

"Wait, Sasuke-kun. Something's happening to Gaara." Sakura announced.

Everyone watched as the raccoon hybrid began to stand. "Gaara? You're awake." Temari gasped.

Gaara ignored her comment in favor of looking at the group of four before him. _**"Temari. What's going on?"**_

"They came after us. They intend on capturing and taking us back to their village for questioning. Kankuro and I carried you as far from the village as we could and have been protecting you while you were knocked out."

Gaara's eyes scanned each genin in the group of four, carefully. _**"So, these maggots think that they can take me? I'd like to see them try."**_ Was all he said before disappearing.

"Come back here, Gaara!" Sasuke yelled out in frustration as he followed him.

"Sasuke-kun! Wait for me!" Sakura called as she chased him.

"Wait you guys!" Naruto yelled out. When neither of them turned back or acknowledged that he'd said anything, Naruto sighed in frustration and turned towards Shikamaru. "Are you sure you have this?"

"Gaara is who we need to capture. I'll be through with her in a matter of minutes. You guys just need to stop Gaara." Shikamaru ordered.

Naruto nodded before following his teammates and fellow demon. Neither genin watched as the others left. They were only focused on each other.

"You said you'll be done with me in a matter of minutes? You sound cocky." Temari nodded while opening her fan.

"I'm not cocky. I'm just trying to end a troublesome situation quickly." Shikamaru answered coolly.

"Well then… we'll see how quickly you end this fight."

…

…

…

"Stop where you are Gaara!" Sasuke screamed out.

The red head stopped on a few branches before them with his back turned towards them. Naruto and Sakura finally came to stop next to Sasuke and spent a few moments catching their breaths. Once his breathing returned to normal, Naruto was about to scold Sasuke for running off without them when Gaara finally turned around.

"_**So you've finally caught up to me, huh? That's good. It makes things easier. To be honest… It's been a very long time since I've felt anything like this. Seeing and feeling the power radiating off of the two of you, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, is delicious. One of you is just like me while the other has a nice amount of power. It makes me so… hungry" **_The red head smirked while grabbing his head. Everyone watched in horror as Gaara's body began to suddenly transform. Half of his body started to change into a miniature version of his demon's form. _**"I don't know who to feed on first…"**_

"What… is that thing?!" Sakura shrieked.

"Oh no…" Naruto panicked with wide eyes.

"What is it? Do you know what that thing is?" Sasuke asked with fear in his voice.

"He's starting to unleash his demon…" Naruto answered while swallowing a lump in his throat.

"His demon?!" Sasuke and Sakura gasped.

Before Naruto could explain, Gaara rushed at them. They were all able to dodge him, but he just came after them again.

"_**YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FROM ME!"**_ Gaara growled. He thrust his arm forward and narrowly missed them. When he missed them, Gaara accidently hit and tree and caused it to fall. _**"WHERE ARE YOU HIDING?! COME OUT AND FACE ME!"**_

"What are we going to do?" Sakura panicked as they hid behind a tree.

"Gaara only wants Naruto and me, not you." Sasuke said.

"Wow. You said that in a nasty tone." Naruto commented.

"No dobe, this is a good thing. If he's only going to attack us, we can distract him while Sakura sneaks up behind him and knock him out." Sasuke sighed.

"Oh. Good plan." Naruto smiled.

"Did you get all of that Sakura?"

"Hai. Don't worry Sasuke-kun. I won't let you down." The pink haired bunny nodded before disappearing.

"I hope she doesn't fuck this up." Sasuke sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"Don't worry about her. As long as we distract him, Gaara won't even think about her." Naruto said before standing up. "Let's go put your plan into action."

"Wait." Sasuke called stopping Naruto in his tracks. "How did you know that Gaara is a demon? And what does he mean that one of us is the same as him? Does this have to do with all those promises you made me make before you asked about marriage? And that weird, orange chakra that I see you emitting? What's going on here? What do you know that I don't?"

"Sasuke, this isn't the time to be discussing this."

"What are you hiding from me?" Sasuke glared while moving to stand eye-to-eye with his fox lover.

Naruto looked Sasuke in the eye for a second before turning away. "Nothing."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto by his chin and forced him to look Sasuke in the eye. "You're lying."

"_**NARUTO UZUMAKI! SASUKE UCHIHA! COME OUT HERE SO THAT I CAN DEVOUR YOU!"**_ Gaara screamed after he used his hand to destroy another tree.

With a heavy sigh, Naruto slowly removed Sasuke's hand from his chin. When Naruto looked his lover in the eye, Sasuke's expression softened at the scared and nervous look in his fox's ocean blue eyes. "Look, Sasuke. I promise that once we defeat Gaara I'll tell you everything." Sasuke started to feel guilty after hearing Naruto's saddened tone. Whatever the blond fox was hiding could very well change things between the two of them. Sudden fear and nervousness began to rack Sasuke's body as he swallowed a large lump in his throat and nodded at Naruto's words.

"Let's go." Naruto said before moving to distract Gaara with Sasuke following behind him. "Hey ugly! Over here!"

"_**THERE YOU ARE! I'VE GOT YOU NOW!"**_ Gaara yelled as he threw his deformed arm forward.

Naruto and Sasuke split up and allowed the tree behind them to be destroyed. Naruto grabbed a hold of Gaara's arm, hopped on top of it, and ran to kick him in the face.

"Move out of the way, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as he ran towards them with chidori formed. Naruto did as he was told and moved out of the way in time for Sasuke to hit Gaara with the chidori. Gaara grunted as he was sent flying back. "Now Sakura!"

"Right." She said while coming out of a tree.

Gaara looked up and saw the girl flying at him with a kunai in her hand and reacted quickly. The red head flipped himself over and landed on a branch. Once his foot hit the branch, he flung his arm out and thrusted it towards Sakura. She screamed as the arm grabbed her and forced her back until she hit a tree trunk.

"Sakura!" Naruto and Sasuke gasped loudly as they saw her hit the trunk and go unconscious.

"Put her down!" Naruto yelled angrily while running towards the raccoon hybrid.

"_**KEEP AWAY FROM ME!"**_ Gaara howled when he punched Naruto.

The blond fox grunted when he felt Gaara's fist connect with his cheek, causing him to fall. Naruto was spiraling downwards to the ground until Sasuke caught him and laid him on a branch.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm fine, but what about Sakura?"

"She's knocked out, but he still has a hold on her." Sasuke answered.

"We have to save her."

"I know. Just give me a second to think." Sasuke said before coming up with a plan. "Got it, I'll take care of Gaara, I'll use my chidori on him, and get him to release Sakura. When he does, you need to be there to get her. Understand?"

"Don't worry, I got it but are you going to be ok with using chidori twice in a row? Isn't there a limit to that jutsu?" Naruto questioned.

"Two is my limit, but that doesn't mean that I can't do other attacks. Don't worry about me, capturing Gaara and rescuing Sakura is our main priority." Sasuke stated while standing up. "Now get ready. When I move from here, I want you to stand behind the tree Sakura's attached to and be ready for when she's released."

"Got it." Naruto nodded.

He watched as Sasuke moved in plain sight. "Gaara! Come and get me."

"_**UCHIHA!"**_ Gaara roared as he watched Sasuke come at him.

Naruto moved towards Sakura like Sasuke told him to and watched the fight from there. Sasuke rushed at the raccoon hybrid and punched him in the face. But Gaara quickly recovered, grabbed Sasuke, and flung him backwards. Sasuke grunted as he flew back, but was able to flip himself over so that he landed on his feet.

"Is that the best you've got?" Sasuke mocked.

"_**For you? Of course not!"**_ Gaara began to chuckle.

After saying that, Gaara began to disconnect his hand from the sand that was holding Sakura to the tree, confusing both Team 7 boys. Naruto gasped when he saw that the sand was still surrounding her. Thinking quickly he hurried and used one of his kunai to cut the sand away from her, but stopped when the evil chuckling became louder. Both boys watched as Gaara began to transform again. This time, everything, except his legs was covered in sand and he was beginning to look like the one-tailed beast's true form.

"_**Kit! Kit, can you hear me?!"**_ Kyuubi called out anxiously.

"_What's wrong, Kyuubi?"_

"_**It's Gaara. That's the second transformation. Now it'll be even harder for you two to defeat him, but still possible."**_

"_How do we do that?"_

"_**To do that you'll have to defeat Gaara himself. Now, I don't know how to do that, but you have to figure something out before it's too late."**_ Kyuubi warned.

"_Why? What happens if we don't defeat him now?"_

"_**Every jinchuriki has more than one transformation they can go through. And, depending on their demon, depends on how many they will have. Right now, Gaara is in his second stage. If you don't defeat him now, then he'll reach the final stage."**_

"_And what's the final stage?! How can it get any worse than that?!"_

"_**If Gaara reaches the final stage… then he'll fully turn into the Shukaku. If that happens… no one will come out of this battle alive."**_

Naruto panicked at what Kyuubi told him. He had no idea that things would get worse than this. Fear and worry set in, for not only him, but for Sasuke, Sakura, and their village as well. There're more things on the line than originally thought. He turned his eyes away from rescuing Sakura to the fight between Gaara and Sasuke.

His raven feline seemed to be holding his own against the hybrid raccoon, but that wouldn't last long. Deciding to save Sasuke, Naruto put his kunai back into his pouch and moved to help Sasuke.

"_Sorry, Sakura. But, Sasuke needs my help more."_

Sasuke had to keep fighting from a distance with Gaara, but he figured that it was time to end the fight now rather than later. He performed his hand signs and summoned chidori to his hand. Once everything was ready, Sasuke rushed at Gaara and was about to land the attack, but the curse mark began to act up and spread over the left side of his body.

"Damn…" Sasuke cursed as he gripped his shoulder and watched as his chidori faded.

"_**I HAVE YOU NOW!"**_ Gaara smirked evilly as he grabbed Sasuke and slammed him into a branch. Sasuke groaned and panted in pain while lying on the branch. _**"NOW DIE!"**_

"**KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM!"** Naruto yelled as he punched Gaara in the face and sent him backwards. When Gaara landed on the branch, Naruto picked Sasuke up bridal-style and took him to hide behind another tree. "You ok?"

"No. The curse mark is acting up again and it pushed me to my limit. I don't think I can perform chidori for a while." Sasuke grunted out.

Sasuke screamed out in agony until Naruto grabbed his hand and unleashed some of his chakra to calm his raven down. "Shh. It's ok, I'm here." Once Sasuke calmed down, Naruto stood up and readied himself.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm going to defeat him. Sakura won't be able to be saved until Gaara is defeated, and since you're not in the best shape, it's up to me to defeat him." Naruto announced.

"By yourself? Naruto, that's stupid! You can't defeat him alone. I'm going to help you~" Sasuke gasped out in pain when he tried to move.

Naruto kneeled down beside him and did the same thing to calm him down. "See, you're in no condition to fight. I have to defeat him. It's our only choice." Naruto said.

Sasuke stared at his fox lover for a few moments before signing in defeat. "Fine, but if you die out there… Then I'll bring you back just to kill you myself." He threatened.

"I won't. Now stay hidden here. I'll lead him away from you and defeat him." Naruto said while standing up. "I love you, Sasuke."

"Tell me that when you get back." Sasuke smirked through his pain, causing Naruto to smirk too.

"Hey Gaara! I hope you're ready to be defeated!" Naruto yelled out.

"_**YOU DEFEAT ME?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! YOU AND I MAYBE THE SAME, BUT I AM STRONGER! AND YOU KNOW WHY?! IT'S BECAUSE I FIGHT ONLY FOR ME WHILE YOU FIGHT FOR OTHERS! THAT IS A WEAKNESS THAT WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL!"**_ Gaara yelled as he thrust his arms forward.

Naruto took two kunai out, stabbed both sand covered palms, and ran towards his face. Naruto brought one more kunai out to stab Gaara in his torso with, but stopped when he saw the look in the red head's eyes.

Loneliness… Hatred… Anger… Sadness… Those were the emotions that shown through his green eyes. The same emotions that Naruto used to have… It was at that moment that Naruto realized that both of them had more in common that the fact that they're jinchurikis. Too distracted by his train of thought, Naruto barely missed it when Gaara opened his mouth and blew sand at him. Thinking quickly, Naruto used his arms and legs to shield himself from the attack as he was flung backwards.

Naruto grunted in pain as he back connected to a tree trunk. With a little bit of a struggle, Naruto began to stand on shaky legs. His eyes were focused on Gaara's form. He watched as Gaara unleashed a wave of sand shurikens at him. Naruto fell downwards onto another branch. After falling onto the branch, he tried to stand again, but couldn't when Gaara unleashed another wave of sand shurikens. The same thing happened for three more times. Naruto's body was begging to become worn out while Gaara was still getting warmed up.

"_**COME ON, UZUMAKI! IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!" **_Gaara laughed at him.

Naruto panted heavily as he began to stand on shaky legs. He continued to study Gaara.

"_He's just like me. He's branded a monster for being something that's not his fault. He's and jinchuriki, just like me. Hated and feared by everyone, friend to none. And, because of his status, he has grown to hate everyone… just like I used to do before I met my friends and Sasuke. They showed me that they cared for me and that I didn't have to be alone, especially Sasuke. That's what Gaara needs. Someone who understands him. Someone to let him know that he's not alone… Someone that can get through to him. That's it!"_ Naruto thought before connecting a link with Kyuubi.

"_Kyuubi? Can you hear me?"_

"_**What is it Kit?"**_

"_I need to borrow some of your power. I'm going to use it to get through to Gaara."_

"_**You can access my power anytime you want. I just hope you know what you're doing."**_

"_Don't worry… I know exactly how to get to him."_

"_**WHAT'S THE MATTER UZUMAKI?! SCARED?! DO YOU WANT TO GIVE UP?! YOU'RE A WEAKLING THAT'S GOING TO DIE HERE AND NOW!"**_ Gaara roared in excitement as he thrusted his arm forward, but when it reached Naruto, Gaara withdrew it. _**"What's this power I'm feeling? What's going on?!"**_

"_**Gaara… you say that I am weak for protecting and fighting for others instead of myself. But, what you don't realize is that fighting for someone and protecting them is what true strength is about. But… you are right about one thing…"**_ Gaara's eyes widen in shock when he sensed Naruto's chakra changing into the Kyuubi's. _**"We are similar. And I'm going to use that similarity to defeat and get through to you!"**_

"_**IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK? THEN COME ON! THIS POWER YOUR DISPLAYING MAKES ME WANT TO DEVOUR YOU EVEN MORE NOW!"**_

Gaara opened his mouth to shot more sand shurikens at him, but Naruto used his chakra to deflect them. Once they were out of his way, Naruto reached into his pouch, pulled out three kunai. He added some of his chakra to two of them before throwing them. Once they came in contact with Gaara's sand, the red head hissed at the burning sensation. While he was distracted, Naruto held on tight to the other kunai as he ran towards Gaara. With his increased speed, Naruto appeared in front of Gaara before disappearing and reappearing behind him. Once behind Gaara, he added more chakra to the kunai and stabbed him Gaara at the base of his tail. Gaara hollered and was stunned by the burning sensation in his weak point. While he was distracted, Naruto riled his fist back, punched Gaara in the face, jumped up, and brought his foot down to kick Gaara into the ground below them. Naruto looked down and waited to see if his opponent would move. When Gaara finally did, he held his ground.

"_**It's about time you got serious because now… I CAN SHOW YOU MY TRUE FORM!"**_ Naruto's eyes widen when he saw some of Gaara's sand shot up and destroyed some of the trees around them. When the dust cleared, there stood the full form of Shukaku. Trying not to be distracted by the beast before him, Naruto bit his thumb and used that blood to summon Gamabunta. _**"YOU THINK YOU CAN STAND UP TO ME?! YOU'RE EVEN STUPIDER THAN I THOUGHT!"**_

"_**Eh? What the hell is going on here?"**_ Gamabunta yelled before looking up. _**"Oh it's you. What the hell do you want, you little squirt?"**_

"_**I need your help against him."**_ Naruto said calmly while pointing to Shukaku.

"_**Eh? How the hell did you end up in a battle with the one-tailed Shukaku?"**_ Gamabunta asked.

"_**It's a long story. I need your help to take him down. My comrades can't help me, so it's up to you and me to defeat this guy."**_ Naruto explained.

Gamabunta turned his eyes to stare at Shukaku for a while before sighing loudly. _**"I guess I can't have you dying on me. Jiraiya wouldn't like it. Alright kid, today's your lucky day. I'm going to help you take down this freak."**_

"_**TAKE ME DOWN?! I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY!"**_

"_**Hand on tight, Kid. I'm going to jump."**_ Was all Gamabunta said before jumping.

Naruto had to dig his claws into Gamabunta's head to hold on tight enough. Gamabunta jump towards Shukaku and used his sword to slice off his right arm. Once the Toad Chief was close enough, he stabbed Gaara at the base of his arm, pushed further into the attack, and was able to slice off the demon's arm. As Gaara's arm went flying, so did the Gamabunta's sword. When the toad landed, he began to pant from slight tiredness.

Sasuke, who watched the display from the branch Naruto left him on, was amazed at what he just saw. Not only was Naruto taking on Gaara in full transformation mood, but he also summoned a giant toad to assist him in the fight. He looked up, with his enhanced vision and made out his boyfriend's form standing tall on the giant toad's back, ready to defeat his opponent. It was truly a sight to see, but at the same time had Sasuke worried about Naruto's well being.

"_Please Naruto. Be careful."_

"_**What's wrong, Chief Toad?" **_Naruto asked.

"_**We might have some trouble kid. That cut I just made took a lot of effort. We're going to have to come up with a plan if we want to come out of this battle alive."**_

"_**Well I'm open to some options."**_ Naruto said.

"_**What?! You expect me to come up with a plan?! You're supposed to be the one who~"**_

The argument between Naruto and Gamabunta stopped when Gaara began to laugh evilly. _**"I MUST SAY, NARUTO UZUMAKI! YOU ARE ONE INTERESTING OPPONENT! NOW… MY THIRST CAN ONLY BE QUENCHED BY YOUR BLOOD!"**_

The beast's laughter stopped when the top half Gaara emerged from Shukaku's head.

"_**What the hell is that?" **_Naruto gasped.

"_**Oh no. It's a spiritualist medium."**_

"_**A what?"**_ Naruto asked.

"_**A spiritualist medium is someone who shows signs of having been possessed by the Shukaku. That is what this Gaara kid is doing. The dark circles around his eyes show that Gaara is suffering from insomnia."**_ Chief Toad informed.

"_**What does Gaara suffering from insomnia have to do with anything?"**_

"_**The vessel of the Shukaku Sand Spirit will suffer from insomnia their whole life. No one with the Shukaku in them is allowed to sleep peacefully at night. Not only is the terror too great, but if the vessel sleeps, Shukaku will eat at their psyche until there's nothing left of their former selves. And if the vessel doesn't sleep, then their mental state will be too unstable and they'll become unstable"**_

"_**Oh great. So basically we're dealing with a psychopath."**_ Naruto groaned.

"_**But, there is a way we can win against him in this form. As long as the spiritualist medium remains awake, then the Shukaku's power will remain in check and we will not have to fight him, only just his form."**_ Chief Toad added.

"_**That seems easy enough."**_

"_**Yeah, but there's a catch."**_

"_**And that would be…?"**_ Naruto asked nervously.

"_**NARUTO UZUMAKI! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ENTERTAINING ME TODAY! BUT NOW IT'S TIME FOR ME TO END THIS! PLAY POSSUM JUTSU!"**_ Gaara yelled before suddenly falling asleep.

"_**Shit."**_ Chief Toad cursed.

"_**What? Why did you say that? And why did Gaara suddenly drop like that?"**_ Naruto asked with panic in his voice.

"_**Remember when I said that the medium is not allowed to fall asleep? It's because if they do… then the Shukaku will be unleashed fully."**_

"_**Damn… this is bad."**_ Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat.

"_**HA! HA! HA! I'M BACK BABY! YEAH!"**_ The Shukaku laughed before turning to look at Naruto and Gamabunta. _**"I HOPE YOU'RE READY TO DIE BECAUSE HERE I COME!"**_

"_**Kid. Hang on tight. I'm going to jump so you better hold on tight." **_Gamabunta warned.

"_**Right."**_ Naruto nodded before attaching his claws into Gamabunta's head again.

"_**PREPARE FOR MY SAND BULLETS!"**_

Gamabunta jumped in time to dodge the attack and sent a water bullet towards Shukaku. The demon countered it by using another sand bullet. The two attacks blocked each other out and sent the cold water falling onto Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke did his best to use the leaves to keep him dry while also keeping his eye on the battle.

When Gamabunta landed, it was somewhat close to where Sasuke and Sakura were hiding, making Naruto nervous. _**"Chief Toad. Please stay away from this area. Sasuke and Sakura are hiding over there. I don't want them to get hirt."**_

"_**Got it, Kid. I'll try to lead him away then."**_ The toad jumped again and readied himself for another attack. _**"WATER BULLETS!"**_

"_**SAND BULLETS!"**_

Gamabunta's water bullets were able to deflect two of three of Shukaku's sand bullets. _**"WATCH OUT, GAMABUNTA!"**_

But it was too late. The last sand bullet hit Gamabunta hard and made him and Naruto fall to the ground.

"**NARUTO?!"** Sasuke yelled as he tried to use his eyes to see if they were ok.

"_**HAHAHAHA! I GOT THEM! I GOT THEM!"**_ Shukaku cheered. His cheering was the only thing that could be heard as the dust cleared. Once it was cleared, Gamabunta and Naruto could be seen panting from the attack. _**"WHAT?! YOU TWO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!"**_

"_**That actually kind of hurt. Hit me with a couple more of those and not even I will be able to survive."**_ Gamabunta glared.

"_**This is bad, Chief Toad. How are we going to defeat someone like that?"**_ Naruto asked.

"_**We have to put the Shukaku back in check. And we can only do that by waking Gaara. That's where you come in, kid."**_

"_**And how in the hell am I supposed to do that?"**_

"_**I don't know. Fire some rounds at him, punch him, I don't care. But whatever you're going to do, you need to do it soon or else we'll lose this battle." **_Gamabunta commanded. _**"I'm going to try and get a little closer to him. Once I'm close enough, that's when you need to strike."**_

"_**Right!"**_ Naruto nodded as he clung to Gamabunta's head.

"_**LIQUID BULLETS!"**_

"_**YOU MISSED!"**_ Shukaku smirked, but gasped when Gamabunta grabbed his shoulders.

"_**NOW'S YOUR CHANCE, NARUTO!"**_

"_**Right. Now Gaara, it's time for you to wake up!"**_ Naruto roared. He was about to attack Gaara, but Shukaku managed to get himself free, and before Shukaku could attack, Gamabunta jumped away. _**"Gamabunta! If you want me to get a clear shot then you have to keep you hold on him."**_

"_**In case you haven't notice, ya little squirt, my body doesn't have anything to dig into my enemy with."**_ Gamabunta announced.

"_**Then how am I supposed to get a clear shot?"**_

"_**A transformation jutsu outta do the trick. But, since I'm not good with transformation jutsus, it's up to you. Transform us into something that has fangs, claws, horns, or whatever. Just make sure it has what we need."**_

"_**I think I have the perfect animal."**_ Naruto smirked before creating a connection with Kyuubi. _"Kyuubi. I need your help. How do you feel about being unleashed?"_

"_**You know I've been waiting for that moment since I was in my human form, but what about Sasuke. If you transform into me, then won't he suspect that you're my vessel?"**_

Naruto turned his head over to Sasuke's general direction with a sadden look. He thought back to the promise he made earlier and sighed heavily. _"I promised him that I would tell him the truth… This transformation would only make things a little easier. But, that's something I'll worry about later. Right now… I need you… Dad…"_

"_**You'll always have me, son. Now let's do his. Unleash me."**_ Kyuubi commanded.

"_**Hey kid! Are you ready to perform the transformation?"**_ Gamabunta asked.

"_**Yeah… let's go."**_ Naruto said while readying his hands.

"_**Alright then! Let's end this fight!"**_ Gamabunta yelled as he hopped towards Shukaku.

Naruto held his stance and performed the necessary hand sign. With a deep breath, Naruto unleashed his attack. _**"TRANSFORM!"**_

Suddenly clouds surrounded them and allowed the transformation to happen. Within a few moments, the Nine-Tailed Kyuubi sprang out of the cloud of smoke. Sasuke's eyes widen to an incredible size when he saw the Kyuubi before him.

"_That's the Nine-Tailed Kyuubi! The one who attacked our village 12 years ago! And Naruto managed to summon it?! Just what the hell kind of secret is Naruto hiding?! Oh no! Don't tell me that~!"_

"_**OHOHOHOHOH! SO IT'S YOU, KYUUBI! IT'S BEEN A WHILE!"**_ Shukaku smirked.

"_**SHUKAKU! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"**_ Kyuubi growled out.

"_**WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?! I'M DESTROYING THINGS AND KILLING PEOPLE! WHAT I DO BEST!" **_Shukaku chuckled.

"_**WELL IT ENDS HERE! I'M GOING TO PUT YOU BACK IN YOUR PLACE!"**_ Kyuubi yelled.

"_**I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY! HISTORY MAY CONSIDER YOU THE MOST POWERFUL DEMON, BUT I'M GOING TO PROVE IT WRONG!"**_

Shukaku put his hand on his stomach and unleashed his sand bullets. Kyuubi dodged and ran at him. The fox demon brought his claws down and barely missed Shukaku's face. Shukaku took this time to send another sand bullet his way, Kyuubi dodged the attack by jumping to the side.

"_Kyuubi. Can you hear me?"_Naruto asked through their connection.

"_**Loud and clear, Kit."**_

"_I need you to get a good grip on Shukaku's body so that I can wake Gaara up and release the transformation."_

"_**No problem, Kit. Just leave it to me."**_ Kyuubi said before cutting the connection.

With one of his tails, Kyuubi grabbed a few trees and ran towards his opponent. As he sped by, Kyuubi used his claws to slice at Shukaku's belly. After recovering quickly, Shukaku turned around and unleashed a sand bullet. Kyuubi used the trees to dodge the attack before using his claws and fangs to clamp onto Shukaku's body. The screaming Shukaku was doing let Kyuubi know that his hold was tight enough.

"_**Alright Kit. It's up to you and Gamabunta from here. Good luck."**_

"_Thanks Kyuubi. Alright! Here I go!"_

Smoke appeared, reviling Gamabunta and Naruto. Naruto jumped off of Gamabunta's head and riled his fist back. _**"Rise and shine, you bastard!"**_

Naruto smirked when he felt his fist connect with Gaara's cheek. That caused Shukaku to throw his head around, causing Naruto to grip onto the demon's head.

"_**NO! GIVE ME A BREAK! I JUST GOT HERE! NO! I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK!"**_ Shukaku yelled before he was locked away and Gaara was the only one left.

"_**Alright! You did it, kid!"**_ Gamabunta cheered.

"_**You! You broke my jutsu!"**_ Gaara roared in anger as he used his sand to surround Naruto's feet. _**"Now! You're going to pay! Sand coffin."**_

"_**Don't worry, kid. I got you!"**_ Gamabunta said as he wrapped his tongue around Naruto to protect him.

"_**DO YOU THINK I'M STUPID!"**_ Gaara growled as he used his sand to engulf Naruto from the inside of Gamabunta's tongue.

When Gamabunta removed his tongue, the sand disappeared. _**"How much strength does he have left? He's still pretty strong." **_Gamabunta grunted as he struggled to keep Gaara in place. _**"You have to hurry, kid. I can't hold him much longer."**_

Naruto heeded Gamabunta's warning as he removed his headband and wrapped it around his left hand. _**"Don't worry, Chief Toad. This battle is just about over. Because~"**_ Naruto had his eyes narrowed as he ran towards Gaara. The red head used his sand to capture Naruto. The blond struggled to get free. With a little force more force, Naruto was able to move forward and collide his forehead with Gaara's. _**"I'VE HAD JUST ABOUT ENOUGH OF YOU!"**_

That attack did it. Gaara's green eyes watched as blood spilled down both his and Naruto's foreheads. The rush he felt during the entire battle began to disappear, just like his chakra. When Naruto hit his forehead against Gaara's, Shukaku's form began to disappear and turn to sand. Gaara and Naruto began to fall. Gaara fell onto some leaves when Naruto was caught by Gamabunta.

"_**You alright, kid?"**_

"Yeah… I'm fine… Just a little headache…" Naruto smiled and panted.

"_**Well good because it's time for me to go. I've reached my limit and so have you. Don't hurt yourself finishing this guy off. I wish I could stick around to see how this all ends."**_

"That's alright, Boss Toad. You've done enough. I can take it from here." Naruto said. Gamabunta nodded as he put Naruto onto a branch before disappeared. Once Gamabunta was gone, Naruto turned to face Gaara. "Looks like we've reached our limit, huh?" He laughed.

"What do you know about me? You know nothing!" Gaara yelled.

"Actually… you're wrong about that." Naruto grunted as he began to stand up. "I may not know a lot, but I know enough to understand where you're coming from. The pain, hatred, loneliness, the feeling of wanting to belong… All those feelings that you're experiencing, the darkness you feel like you're floating in? Yeah I know that to and you want to know why? It's because I've been there. Yeah, I can admit that I hated the Leaf Village and the people in it because of how they treated me. They hated me and mistreated me for something that wasn't my fault. And if it wasn't for the people I've met and care about, then I would be right where you are now, floating in a sea of darkness, anger, and loneliness. So, yeah, I may not know everything about you, but I know what it's like to be you…"

"But, what is it? What is it that makes you so strong?" Gaara asked as he moved to stand up.

Naruto didn't answer him. He readied his fist, ran towards Gaara and punched him in the fast. With the impact of the punch, Gaara fell off of the branch and onto the ground below. Having been defeated, Gaara's sand, surrounding Sakura, began to fade. Feeling good enough to move, Sasuke jumped and caught her in mid-air and placed her under the tree Naruto was standing in. He turned his head to stare up at his boyfriend before watching him jump down and stand above Gaara.

"You wanna know what makes me strong?" Naruto turned towards Sasuke and Sakura and pointed to them. "It's them and everyone that accepts me for who I am. They are the most important people to me because they're the ones who accept me for who I am. They saved me from the path your own, so I made it my duty to protect them from any danger. It is this reason that makes me strong and will give me what I need to keep getting stronger to protect everything I love." Naruto said with a glare on his face.

Gaara let what Naruto said sink in. He thought about Temari and Kankuro and how they're always by his side, how they're always protecting him, listening to him, and just… being there for him. He also began to think about how he's been taking advantage of them and how he's been ignoring them. And for once in his life… he felt bad…

"Love? That's what makes you strong? Well then… I think it's time for me… to find that strength too…" Gaara panted before finally fainting.

Naruto panted as he stared at Gaara's limp form on the ground. The satisfaction of winning made him smile, but the feeling of knowing that he made a difference today made him smile wider. After accepting his victory, Naruto was ready to pass out and never wake up. His body felt weak and heavy. All he wanted to was sleep. So, he closed his eyes, let go, allowed his body to fall to the ground without a care.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out as he ran to his falling lover. He caught the exhausted boy and moved to lay him onto the ground with his head in Sasuke's lap. "Naruto? Are you ok? Can you hear me?"

"I… won…" Naruto smiled lightly.

"Yes you did. I'm so proud of you." Sasuke smiled back.

"Is Sakura ok?"

"She'll be fine. You defeated him before the sand crushed her." Sasuke informed.

"Good I'm glad… Listen Sasuke… I want to tell you~"

"Shh. You need to rest, you deserve it." Sasuke whispered.

"But my promise…"

"You can tell me later. Right now I just want you to rest. You need some of your energy to help me carry these two back." Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded and began to close his eyes, but opened them when he sensed Kakashi, Guy, Pakkun, and Shikamaru appear.

"I see you worn yourself out." Pakkun said before turning to look over at Gaara. "And I see you that you defeated him too. Good job, kid." Pakkun nodded.

"Yes Naruto. Good job." Kakashi smiled.

"Um Kakashi, I know you're proud of Naruto for defeating Gaara but we have more pressing matters to attend to." Guy said as he adjusted Shino and Kankuro in his arms.

"Oh yes. You're right?" Kakashi nodded.

"Alright you two enough of the secrets, you two still haven't told me what this direr situation is." Shikamaru glared lightly as he held Temari bridal-style.

"Direr situation? What's going on Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he turned his head towards them.

"Well you see, not only did the Sand and Sound villages team up to attack us, but so did Orochimaru. He fought with Lord Hokage and…"

"And what? What happened to the Third Hokage?!" Naruto yelled, trying to get up.

"Naruto, you need to settle down. You're not strong enough to get up yet." Sasuke warned as he tried to push Naruto back down onto his lap.

"I'm sorry to say this everyone, but… Lord Hokage… is dead…"

…

**Next Time on **_**"Let's Only Try It Once"**_**…**

Sasuke tries to cheer Naruto up after they mourn The Third's Death

…


	22. Cheering Up Naruto

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Sasuke cheering Naruto up after the Third's funeral. NaruSasu mating.

**Author's Notes:**

Everything's the same from last chapter.

The poll I had up is finally gone with NaruSasu as the winner. So, now there's a new poll up asking you, my fans, what do you want to see them in. So go on my profile and vote away.

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Naruto panted as he stared at Gaara's limp form on the ground. The satisfaction of winning made him smile, but the feeling of knowing that he made a difference today made him smile wider. After accepting his victory, Naruto was ready to pass out and never wake up. His body felt weak and heavy. All he wanted to was sleep. So, he closed his eyes, let go, allowed his body to fall to the ground without a care.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out as he ran to his falling lover. He caught the exhausted boy and moved to lay him onto the ground with his head in Sasuke's lap. "Naruto? Are you ok? Can you hear me?"

"I… won…" Naruto smiled lightly.

"Yes you did. I'm so proud of you." Sasuke smiled back.

"Is Sakura ok?"

"She'll be fine. You defeated him before the sand crushed her." Sasuke informed.

"Good I'm glad… Listen Sasuke… I want to tell you~"

"Shh. You need to rest, you deserve it." Sasuke whispered.

"But my promise…"

"You can tell me later. Right now I just want you to rest. You need some of your energy to help me carry these two back." Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded and began to close his eyes, but opened them when he sensed Kakashi, Guy, Pakkun, and Shikamaru appear.

"I see you worn yourself out." Pakkun said before turning to look over at Gaara. "And I see you that you defeated him too. Good job, kid." Pakkun nodded.

"Yes Naruto. Good job." Kakashi smiled.

"Um Kakashi, I know you're proud of Naruto for defeating Gaara but we have more pressing matters to attend to." Guy said as he adjusted Shino and Kankuro in his arms.

"Oh yes. You're right?" Kakashi nodded.

"Alright you two enough of the secrets, you two still haven't told me what this direr situation is." Shikamaru glared lightly as he held Temari bridal-style.

"Direr situation? What's going on Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked as he turned his head towards them.

"Well you see, not only did the Sand and Sound villages team up to attack us, but so did Orochimaru. He fought with Lord Hokage and…"

"And what? What happened to the Third Hokage?!" Naruto yelled, trying to get up.

"Naruto, you need to settle down. You're not strong enough to get up yet." Sasuke warned as he tried to push Naruto back down onto his lap.

"I'm sorry to say this everyone, but… Lord Hokage… is dead…"

**Now Onto the Next Chapter of **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

**Chapter 20: Cheering Up Naruto**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Hey Naruto. The funeral is starting soon. We should get going." I called out to him from our doorway.

"Alright… I'll be down in a second." He sighed before slowly grabbing his black clothes.

"I'll be waiting downstairs for you." This time he didn't answer me.

I turned around, throwing a sad look at him, and walked down the stairs with my hands in my pockets. Today was the Third Hokage's funeral. According to Kakashi and the other adults, the Third laid down his life to protect the village from Orochimaru, his former student. It made me think of Naruto when I heard the news.

He wants to be Hokage and, although he doesn't care, I didn't agree with the fact that he might die to protect our village. Of course he knows that that is part of the job, but I'd rather have the entire obliterated than lose him. That's probably the most difficult part of being the lover of someone who's so bent on having a job such as Hokage. But that's something that can be saved for another day.

Right now, my only concern is Naruto's mood. Ever since we were told the Third died, he hasn't been himself. The few days it took for matters to be settled and for the funeral to be planned, Naruto just sat around in the room without doing anything. He doesn't talk, he barely eats, and he just seems depressed all the time. Usually, I would enjoy the silence between us, but not when it's a depressing silence. I've tried everything to get him out of his funk, but nothing seemed to work. I've even tried leaving him alone and having him come to me. It seemed every technique seemed ineffective. I have to think of something. I don't like what this has done to him.

"Ready to go?" I heard Naruto sigh as he came down the stairs with his hands in his pockets.

I nodded before standing up and moving towards him. His usual bright eyes were dull and lifeless. It was scary. He looked at me for a minute before heading towards the door.

"Hey." I called, stopping him. After he turned to face me I continued. "After the funeral, would you like to do something?"

"Not really. I think I'm just going to come back here and sleep or something." He said in a long voice.

"Come on. Ever since the Third died, you've done nothing but mope around the house. Why don't we go out and have some fun? My treat?"

He looked at me for a second with half lid eyes. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Sasuke?"

"I'm being serious, Dobe. I don't like what his death has done to you. I understand that he was special to you and that you miss him, but he wouldn't want you to be sad. He would want you to honor him and continue onto your dream of becoming Hokage. And how are you going to do that if you're doing the complete opposite?" He stared at me for a few moments, but I said something before he could. "It would make me happy."

"Alright Sasuke, I'll go with you. But, after this, no more acting like that. You're starting to scare me. Come on. Sakura is waiting on us."

I followed him out of the house and down the street to Sakura's house. The whole way, I slightly felt guilty for resorting to that, but it was the only thing I could do to get him to agree. I just hope that my plan works

…

…

…

After we picked up Sakura, we headed over to the funeral where the entire village stood in the rain and mourned the loss of our leader. I stood in the middle of Sakura and Naruto while Kakashi and Iruka stood side by side behind us. On Naruto's left side, Konohamaru wept with his team. After we individually placed a flower on the table, we stood silently and allowed the rain to drench us. I looked over at Naruto and saw that he was staring at Konohamaru.

"Stop crying." He whispered.

"How can you tell me to stop crying for my grandfather?! I'm allowed to mourn his death!" The child yelled lowly.

"I didn't say that you couldn't mourn him. There are other ways to mourn your grandfather besides with tears. And, if there is one thing I knew about your grandfather is that he died nobly. He died protecting his home and family. He wouldn't want you to cry over his death. He would want you to hold him forever in your memory and keep living to pursue your dreams. By doing this, you're honoring him in the highest of ways." Naruto finished.

Konohamaru whipped away his tears and nodded at Naruto's words. "I will remember that when I defeat you and become the next Hokage."

"Hn. We'll see kid." Naruto smirked slightly.

It made me happy to see him smile, even if it's just a smirk. Maybe things are finally starting to get through to him. I reached over, grabbed his hand, and laced out fingers together. I didn't care if anyone saw. I was here to comfort him, no one else. It relieved me greatly when I felt him squeeze back. It was at the moment that I looked up and saw…

"Hey, the rain stopped."

I smiled at Naruto's observation and squeezed his hand back with a light smile. "Yes. Yes it has."

…

…

…

After the funeral, Kakashi told us to take the next few days off to spend time with our loved ones. We nodded our heads and walked Sakura home before heading back to my house. When we got there, we stripped out of our wet clothes. I put on my clothes while Naruto only dressed in his black wife beater and orange pants.

I put the wet clothes in the washer and headed back upstairs to check on Naruto. He was sitting on the bed with his shoulders slumped and his head, tail, and ears lowered. Moving closer, I could see tears flowing down his whispered cheeks. Doing the only thing I could, I sat in front of him, pulled his head into my lap and let him cry. Within the first few moments, I felt his arms wrap around my waist and his body became racked with sobs. During that whole few days, not once had I seen Naruto cry. Letting him cry was what he needed for now. So, for however long he needed, I was going to be here to hold him and let him cry.

…

…

…

I let him cry for the rest of the day until he passed out. Realizing that his tears wet my shorts, I eased out of his grasped, laid his head on the pillow, covered him with the comforter, and changed into my pajamas. I went to throw my shorts in with the other clothes in the washer and restarted it. I looked at the clock and saw that it read 9 pm.

I'm glad that he was able to get all of his tears out. It will be easier for me to help him have fun tomorrow.

"_Now, the only thing I have to do is figure out what to do with him."_

I thought about it for a little bit before giving up and deciding to just see what he wants to do. I don't want to force him into doing something he doesn't want to do, so letting him pick his own activities is the best option. Happy with my decision, I headed back to our room. I walked in to see that Naruto had moved so that he was lying on his side while hugging my pillow. I snatched the pillow and slid into bed with my back facing his front. His hands immediately reached out, wrapped around my torso and pulled me into his chest. I waited until I felt his even breathing on my neck before letting one hand of my hands fall on his and lacing our fingers together. I could only hope that tomorrow goes well.

"_For all of our sanity."_

…

…

…

"Hey Sasuke, wake up."

"Why?" I groaned, pulling the cover closer to my chin and bringing my knees into my chest.

"You said you were going to take me out today right?"

I slowly opened my eyes and saw him squatting next to the bed in his orange jumpsuit. "And you're ready to go now?"

"Well yeah. I thought about what you said and realized you're right. I'm not going to mourn the Third's death, but instead honor him by getting back to myself, with your help of course. And besides, I do feel kind of like a jerk. I didn't mean to make you worry about me while I was acting all depressed and everything, so I've decided to make it up to you by complying with your every wish with no fight." He explained.

I looked at him in surprise before smirking and sitting up to stretch. "Alright. Let me get dress and make breakfast. We'll head out after."

"Actually, I was thinking that we could go out for breakfast instead. Ya know, spend the whole day together outside." He smiled lightly while scratching the back of his head.

"Sounds great."

…

…

…

The day went pretty nicely. We went out for breakfast and, for once, Naruto was actually welcomed into the shops and restaurants without worry. Apparently, Jiraiya had told the village about how Naruto defeated and protected the village from Gaara and some shops decided to thank him by letting him in. So, we ate breakfast and went to a movie afterward. I made sure to pick a comedy. Half way through, Naruto was laughing hysterically and even making jokes. It was nice to see his mood picking up, so I tried to keep it going. Once the movie was over, we went to the fields to train. He made a comment about how some of my stances and techniques seemed off, which ended in a playful argument and sparring. I will admit that he beat me in sparring, but he was done for when I challenged him to 'Hide-and-go-Seek' using only his nose to find me. Naruto may be a great ninja, when the time calls for it, but I out smarted him with my many traps. When he finally found me, I trapped him with some rope and caused him to hang upside down. I teased him before cutting him down, causing him to drop on his head. We laughed about it for a little bit. After everything settled down, I placed his head in my lap and we cloud watched while talking about different things. I made sure to leave out whatever secret he was going to tell me in favor of keeping up his happy mood. I guess we ended up falling asleep, because the last thing we remembered was looking up and seeing that the sun had began to set. Realizing that it was getting late, we decided to head back into town.

"Hey, let's get some tea." He suggested.

We went over to the tea stand and ordered our favor flavors. We sat on a bench under a shady tree and drank our tea silently. As I finished the last of my tea, I saw something interesting in a window in a shop across the road.

"Wait right here." I told him.

I put the cup down and walked over to the shop and looked in the window. There was an orange fox in the window with 9-Tails, thick, black stitched lines for eyes, three whiskers on each cheek, and a Leaf headband on its forehead. I laughed to myself lightly. The fox looked just like Naruto if he ever turned into an actual fox. Thinking that this will do good for his mood, I went in and bought the fox.

"Where did you go?" He asked.

"Oh I saw something in the window that you might like." I removed the fox from behind my back and handed it to him. The look of amazement and joy spread as wide as his foxy grin. "You're welcome."

He stood up and looked around for a minute before giving me a quick peck on my lips. "You're the best." He whispered.

"I know." I smirked.

He rolled his eyes playfully before grabbing my hand and dragging me with him. "Come on. There's one more place I want to go before going home."

"Where?"

"You'll see." He said as he continued to drag me with him. We ran for a little bit until he finally stopped on top of a hill. "Here we are."

I moved to get a closer look. "The dock? What are we doing here?"

"I wanted to watch the sunset with you." He blushed lightly, causing me to do the same thing.

I nodded and pulled him to the dock. We slipped off our shoes and sat down. He put his feet in the water and the fox in his lap. I sat on his right side and leaned into him with my knees close to my chest and arms crossed. His arm came to wrap around my waist and together we watched the sunset.

"Beautiful." He whispered.

"Yeah. It really is." I nodded before closing my eyes.

My eyes popped open when I felt his lips touch my crown. I looked up at him and saw the gleam in his eyes. The same gleam that I missed. "Thank you, Sasuke. You truly are the best boyfriend in the world. I am blessed to have you in my life and I hope that I never find out the feeling of not having you in my arms. I don't know what I'd do without you."

I felt my cheeks heat up as I leaned closer into him and closed my eyes. "Me either, Naruto. Me either." Even though my eyes were closed, I could feel our tails move into a shape of a heart behind us.

…

…

…

Once the sun had set, we put or shoes back on and walked home hand-in-hand. When we got home, I went into the kitchen and fixed dinner. We ate together, talked, and washed the dishes. That was supposed to be the end of our day together, but of course that's never the plan with a lover like Naruto.

"Hey, ya know what I just realized?" He smiled as I gave him the 'continue' look. "You haven't called me dobe all day."

"So?" I shrugged.

"So, does that mean that you've finally admitted that I'm not one?"

"No. I just decided that by not calling you one, you're mood would increase. And I was right. You're still a dobe." I smirked when I watched him flame.

"I am not a dobe! You have to admit that I deserve a better name since I defeat Gaara by myself."

I thought about it for a little bit and decided that he was right, but wasn't going to let him know that. Where's the fun in that?

"Tell you what, Naruto. If you can capture me like you did when we were assigned to be teammates, then I'll give you a new nickname." I suggested.

"You're on." He agreed.

"Good. Your time starts now."

He jumped for me, but I side stepped him and ran from the scene. He must've recovered because he was right on my tail. We ran up the stairs and he jumped on me. I managed to kick him off of me and onto the bed. When he landed, I jumped on top of him and pinned him there. He struggled and somehow managed to roll us over. He was about to claim victory, but I got one of my legs free and gently brought my knee up to rub it against his crotch. He gave a little squeak and loosened his grip, allowing me to roll us over and pin him.

"I win." I smirked.

"You cheated." He glared.

"It's not cheating if you exploit your opponent's weakness." I argued.

"Yeah. Yeah whatever. So I guess I get to stay a dobe, huh?" He sighed.

"Yeah, but~" I leaned down to kiss his lips. "you're my dobe."

He kissed me the second time. "I'm ok with that."

We looked at each other before leaning in to kiss each other again. I released his hands in favor of grabbing at his spikes. His hands went to my back and caressed it. I felt him sat up and move us towards the pillows without either of us breaking the kiss. I was not sitting in his lap with my fingers laced within his hair and his hands lifting up my shirt. I could see he was a little egger, so we broke the kiss to remove each other's shirts and his jacket before kissing again. Things started to feel hot between us and they were only going to get hotter. Both of our hands moved lower to remove our pants and boxers. Now, we were fully naked and touching each other. The more he touched me, the more my claws dug into his scalp. He moved from my lips to my neck, collarbone and finally stopping at my mark, the most sensitive part on my body.

I grunted slightly when I felt his teeth sink into the mark while one of his hands began stroking my tail. The sensation and pleasure coursing through my body was amazing. It had been too long since Naruto and I were like this. Everything seemed to get in the way of us being together like this and not that we finally have the time… I don't ever want to let this moment go.

The more friction and harder he sank his teeth into me, the louder my moans and the harder I got. When I was fully erect, he pulled away from me and laid me down. My body was shaking from the sensitivity of having his teeth on my mark, but I was able to see him reach over and grab the bottle of lube. He lathered his fingers up, spread my legs apart and added one finger. I grunted from the feeling of having the digit inside of me.

"It really has been a long time since we've done this. You're back to being virgin tight." He joked.

"I blame you." I panted.

"Yeah I know." He said before entering another digit and began moving both of them. "But, I'm going to make up for it tonight."

"You better." I smirked back. It wasn't until the third digit was entered that I began gripping the sheets. Having all three fingers inside of me made me cringe and moan in anticipation for what was going to come next. "I'm ready." I panted out.

He nodded, thrusted his fingers in a few more times for good measure, and removed them before lathering himself up. He opened my legs and placed them on his hips to steady himself. He used one of his hands to guide it in and let go once the tip was in. I grunted and tightened my grip on the sheets at the feeling. My eyes were shut tight from the slight pain of being entered. The feeling and my actions reminded me of our first time doing this. I felt him use his hips to guide the rest of his appendage inside of me. Once he was fully in, He leaned over and began kissing me, trying to tell me to calm down. After I felt more relaxed, I nodded my head and gave him the ok. He took a deep breath and used his hips to pull out before thrusting back in. I released my hold on the sheets in favor of gripping his shoulders. He started off slowly, rocking me with him, and soon he began to speed up. To change the angle, he lifted up my legs onto his shoulders and continued. From the angle he had me in, the pleasure intensified. I moved my hands from his shoulders to his back. I knew he was getting closer because his speed increased, he used one of his hands to pump my tail and his teeth dug into my mark again. With all the pleasure he was giving me on top of the feeling of my member being moved between our bodies and the sweat covering our bodies, I was intoxicated. I cried out as I released my seed on both of our chests while dragging my claws down his back. I threw my head back as he continued to pound me harder and harder until her came, grunting my name.

Both of us finished and were now staring at each other. He leaned down to move my bangs from my face before kissing me. He grunted as he sat up and slow removed himself from me. I was busy panting heavily and trying to stop my body from shaking with pleasure. I opened my eyes to see him cleaning both of us off with a small towel.

"So I'm guessing I made up for lost times, huh?" He smiled.

"Shut up." I smiled lightly while turning over and getting into my sleeping position.

"I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled.

I didn't say anything as I watched him throw the towel in the hamper before coming over to the bed, sliding in front of me and laying so that his nose was touching my stomach and his arms were around my waist. I moved one of my hands to message his scalp and ears. I looked down and waited for his breathing to even out before smiling and closing my eyes.

"It's good to have you back, Dobe."

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on 'Let's Only Try It Once'…**

Itachi enters.


	23. Chapter 23Badbutt94's Author's Note

**Badbutt94's Author's Note:**

First of all, I would like to apologize for not posting anything and for anyone who believes that this is a new chapter. I am making this author's note to let all of my fans and readers know that I will not be able to post any new chapters until after August 20th, 2013. As of right now, I am in another state, taking care of my very young siblings for my mother. She just gave birth, today, to my little brother and will need my help with the new born, 7/8 year old, 3 year old, and a 1 year old, yes people these are all of my siblings. I have been with my family for almost a month now and just found time to upload this author's note, so you can tell that I am busy. But, do not despair, once I return home and before I start college again, I will come back with a bunch of new chapters, stories, and everything you guys expect of me.

Also, on a side not, I have finally gotten my siblings on a schedule so I do have some free time during the night where I can become a beta for anyone who needs one. So, if you or anybody needs a beta for their work, let me know and I can definitely help out.

To add to this author's note, I will be posting this to all of my stories so anyone who's ever read my stories will know that I do not own any most of the characters in my stories. The only ones I do own, are my OCs and extra characters in all of my Naruto stories, Ke'Ania, Saedi, and Raven from my 'Secret Kingdom Hearts' series, and any other OCs I mentioned in the warnings. I also do not own any of the songs I have added in my stories. The only thing I do own are the plots to my stories, the design of most of the characters, and any 'music video' type of action happening in some of my stories. The only reason I am doing this and posting it to all of my stories is because I have received some messages where people were complaining and threatening to report my stories because I did not put any disclaimers in any of the chapters. Since this bothers people and since I refuse to go through the tedious process of dealing with this issue again, I am posting this author's note and will start putting disclaimers of all of my chapters and stories to please my audience and rule followers who refuse to even read my work because there is not disclaimer stated.

Another reason I am also posting this author note to all of my stories is because it has come to my attention that my past stories are shitty and they make me cringe every time I read them. I am not one of those people that will claim that every piece of work I have done is perfect and no one can tell me otherwise. I know that starting off I wasn't as good as I am now, and my work proves that. So, I have decided that, before I die, I will attempt to go back and re-do _**ALL **_of my stories to satisfy this need of mine. I don't know exactly when I will get around to it, but I can guaranty that it will happen one day.

The last thing I have to say to everyone is that I feel the need to be just a little bit closer to you guys so, if you want to, you can scroll further down this note and find my Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, and DeviantArt names so that you can follow me. On my DeviantArt account are some old pictures I drew, but I will be posting some more soon. On my YouTube account, I do occasionally post some videos of my favorite couples. If there is any requests for a video you would like for me to make with a song, drop me a request on my YouTube account or you can send it to my Facebook, Tumblr, or even pm me here. It all goes to my email so I'll get it one way or another. For those who friend me on Facebook, that is where you can get to know the non-fanfiction side of Badbutt94. For anyone that wants to follow me on Tumblr, there I will be posting any updates about my stories, videos, and artwork on there. Now, I know I'm not the best, but I do take pride in what I do and will post it regardless of people's opinions. Just like many other pictures, videos, and pieces of literature, they are there simply for anyone who wants to enjoy it.

Well, I think that's enough ranting and raving for today. Again, I'm sorry that I cannot post any chapters right now, but I will make up for it in a few months. If there are any comments/ concerns or you simply want to just drop me a line, go ahead. I will be waiting to hear from you guys.

**HOW TO FIND ME:**

**Facebook: **Blackcat Ke'AniaSora

**Tumblr: **soraxiii

**YouTube: **Badbutt94

**DeviantArt: **soraswifey


	24. Blast from The Past

**Author's Notes:**

I'm sorry people for not updating. I am finally home and in school so things have been really hectic over here. But, now I **FINALLY **have a schedule and I will do my best to try and keep it. As for the people who have stuck by me through not updating, I truly love you all. For those of you who accused me of not updating fast enough or abandoning this story, you annoy me. If I was going to abandon this story, then I would tell you. But, just know that I do have a life outside of fanfiction. Although, I wish that I could sit in front of a computer and post all day. In fact, that's all I thought about during this summer, but I digress. The point people is that I would **NEVER **give up on a story. Even if it eventually gets completed, I **WILL** complete it. But, some of you have to realize each chapter will take me a minute to complete, but I **PROMISE **to complete **EVERY STORY I POST/ START!**

**Warnings for This Chapter:**

Nothing special

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing except this plotline and some of Itachi's attacks.

…

…

…

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Once the sun had set, we put or shoes back on and walked home hand-in-hand. When we got home, I went into the kitchen and fixed dinner. We ate together, talked, and washed the dishes. That was supposed to be the end of our day together, but of course that's never the plan with a lover like Naruto.

"Hey, ya know what I just realized?" He smiled as I gave him the 'continue' look. "You haven't called me dobe all day."

"So?" I shrugged.

"So, does that mean that you've finally admitted that I'm not one?"

"No. I just decided that by not calling you one, your mood would increase. And I was right. You're still a dobe." I smirked when I watched him flame.

"I am not a dobe! You have to admit that I deserve a better name since I defeat Gaara by myself."

I thought about it for a little bit and decided that he was right, but wasn't going to let him know that. Where's the fun in that?

"Tell you what, Naruto. If you can capture me like you did when we were assigned to be teammates, then I'll give you a new nickname." I suggested.

"You're on." He agreed.

"Good. Your time starts now."

He jumped for me, but I side stepped him and ran from the scene. He must've recovered because he was right on my tail. We ran up the stairs and he jumped on me. I managed to kick him off of me and onto the bed. When he landed, I jumped on top of him and pinned him there. He struggled and somehow managed to roll us over. He was about to claim victory, but I got one of my legs free and gently brought my knee up to rub it against his crotch. He gave a little squeak and loosened his grip, allowing me to roll us over and pin him.

"I win." I smirked.

"You cheated." He glared.

"It's not cheating if you exploit your opponent's weakness." I argued.

"Yeah. Yeah whatever. So I guess I get to stay a dobe, huh?" He sighed.

"Yeah, but~" I leaned down to kiss his lips. "You're my dobe."

He kissed me the second time. "I'm ok with that."

We looked at each other before leaning in to kiss each other again. I released his hands in favor of grabbing at his spikes. His hands went to my back and caressed it. I felt him sat up and move us towards the pillows without either of us breaking the kiss. I was not sitting in his lap with my fingers laced within his hair and his hands lifting up my shirt. I could see he was a little egger, so we broke the kiss to remove each other's shirts and his jacket before kissing again. Things started to feel hot between us and they were only going to get hotter. Both of our hands moved lower to remove our pants and boxers. Now, we were fully naked and touching each other. The more he touched me, the more my claws dug into his scalp. He moved from my lips to my neck, collarbone and finally stopping at my mark, the most sensitive part on my body.

I grunted slightly when I felt his teeth sink into the mark while one of his hands began stroking my tail. The sensation and pleasure coursing through my body was amazing. It had been too long since Naruto and I were like this. Everything seemed to get in the way of us being together like this and not that we finally have the time… I don't ever want to let this moment go.

The more friction and harder he sank his teeth into me, the louder my moans and the harder I got. When I was fully erect, he pulled away from me and laid me down. My body was shaking from the sensitivity of having his teeth on my mark, but I was able to see him reach over and grab the bottle of lube. He lathered his fingers up, spread my legs apart and added one finger. I grunted from the feeling of having the digit inside of me.

"It really has been a long time since we've done this. You're back to being virgin tight." He joked.

"I blame you." I panted.

"Yeah I know." He said before entering another digit and began moving both of them. "But, I'm going to make up for it tonight."

"You better." I smirked back. It wasn't until the third digit was entered that I began gripping the sheets. Having all three fingers inside of me made me cringe and moan in anticipation for what was going to come next. "I'm ready." I panted out.

He nodded, thrusted his fingers in a few more times for good measure, and removed them before lathering himself up. He opened my legs and placed them on his hips to steady himself. He used one of his hands to guide it in and let go once the tip was in. I grunted and tightened my grip on the sheets at the feeling. My eyes were shut tight from the slight pain of being entered. The feeling and my actions reminded me of our first time doing this. I felt him use his hips to guide the rest of his appendage inside of me. Once he was fully in, He leaned over and began kissing me, trying to tell me to calm down. After I felt more relaxed, I nodded my head and gave him the ok. He took a deep breath and used his hips to pull out before thrusting back in. I released my hold on the sheets in favor of gripping his shoulders. He started off slowly, rocking me with him, and soon he began to speed up. To change the angle, he lifted up my legs onto his shoulders and continued. From the angle he had me in, the pleasure intensified. I moved my hands from his shoulders to his back. I knew he was getting closer because his speed increased, he used one of his hands to pump my tail and his teeth dug into my mark again. With all the pleasure he was giving me on top of the feeling of my member being moved between our bodies and the sweat covering our bodies, I was intoxicated. I cried out as I released my seed on both of our chests while dragging my claws down his back. I threw my head back as he continued to pound me harder and harder until her came, grunting my name.

Both of us finished and were now staring at each other. He leaned down to move my bangs from my face before kissing me. He grunted as he sat up and slow removed himself from me. I was busy panting heavily and trying to stop my body from shaking with pleasure. I opened my eyes to see him cleaning both of us off with a small towel.

"So I'm guessing I made up for lost times, huh?" He smiled.

"Shut up." I smiled lightly while turning over and getting into my sleeping position.

"I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled.

I didn't say anything as I watched him throw the towel in the hamper before coming over to the bed, sliding in front of me and laying so that his nose was touching my stomach and his arms were around my waist. I moved one of my hands to message his scalp and ears. I looked down and waited for his breathing to even out before smiling and closing my eyes.

"It's good to have you back, Dobe."

**Onto The New Chapter of **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

…

…

…

**Chapter 21: Blast from The Past**

**Normal P.O.V.**

It had been a few days since the Third's funeral and since Sasuke managed to snap Naruto out of his depression. Now, the trio are sitting in the training field waiting on their, forever-late sensei.

"Awe man. Where the hell is that pervert of a sensei?" Naruto groaned as he laid on the ground with his hands behind his head.

"You should know that he's always late. That's just who he is." Sasuke sighed from his seat in front of a tree with his eyes closed. It wasn't until he felt a presence besides him that he opened his eyes. To his left, Sakura was sitting next to him with a hard blush on her fair cheeks. "Can I help you?"

"Oh, um… Would you like to spend the rest of today with me? Ya know, after Kakashi-sensei tells us what he wants." Sakura asked while slowly batting her eyes, trying to look alluring.

Sasuke just sighed hard while closing his eyes. "Sorry, but Naruto and I already have plans."

"Awe, you never make time for me. You're always with him. How come you never have time for me? When are we ever going to do something?" She whined.

"_**When pigs fly, maybe."**_ Naruto snickered, causing Sasuke to do the same.

"_**WHAT WAS THAT?!"**_ She growled with her fist clenched in front of her face.

"_**Now Sakura, Naruto was only just trying to tell you what Sasuke was thinking."**_ Kakashi smirked as he appeared.

Sakura only huffed and crossed her arms at his comment. "You have a lot of nerve. Showing up here late and making us wait a whole hour and a half."

"Sorry, but I had a little dolphin that I had to satisfy this morning." The gray haired wolf smiled viciously at the memory while everyone cringed at the possible images popping in their heads. "But, I digress. I actually had small missions for you to do, but it seems that I am needed at the Hokage Tower. With the Third gone, they're asking all of the junín to take on a lot more responsibility than usual until we find a replacement. So, for a while, it looks like your guys are home free for now. All I ask you to do is keep training, especially together as a team so that your skills don't rust. That's it for now. Ta-Da."

Everyone sat in silence at the announcement, not knowing what to do next.

"Well… That was different…" Sakura said with confusion in her voice.

"I guess there's nothing else we can expect. With the Third gone, the whole village is vulnerable to any of our enemy's' attacks. We're really going to need to be on our toes. Come on Naruto."

"Right. Bye, Sakura-chan." Naruto waved with a smile.

She raised her hand in a sad goodbye. "Sakura." Sasuke called, making her head shoot in anticipation. "Make sure you practice hard. We're really going to need you."

"Right. I will, Sasuke-kun." She smiled before bouncing away.

Naruto waited for her to be fully gone before giving Sasuke a kiss on the cheek. "That was nice you."

"Let's go." Was all Sasuke said before leaving with Naruto on his tail.

…

…

…

"One green tea, please." Naruto ordered. When he finally got his tea, he moved to sit across from Sasuke at a nearby table. They sat in silence. "You know what's funny?" This caused Sasuke's attention to be focused on him. "Looking around, it seems as if nothing changed. The village recovered from the attack, the Sand Siblings returned to Suna, and anyone injured during that attack is up and moving around. It almost seems as if nothing happened, except it has."

"I know. But, it's only right for us to act this way. If we were to expose ourselves, especially after that attack, that could lead other nations to think we're weak and come after us." Sasuke added.

"Yeah I know. It's just strange, ya know?" Sasuke nodded at Naruto's comment. The two continued to sit in silence until Sasuke's head shot up and started looking around. "What's up?"

"I thought… I sensed something…"

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"It's nothing, forget it." Sasuke shook his head.

"_**Naruto. Sasuke. I'm glad I found you."**_

"Jiraiya? What are you doing here?" Naruto asked in panic.

"Don't worry about that. You two need to get somewhere safe _**NOW**_!"

"What's going on?" Sasuke questioned.

"I'm sorry to tell both of you this, but Itachi Uchiha and his partner, Kisame, are here… and they're looking for you, Naruto." Jiraiya informed.

Sasuke's eyes widen to impossible lengths when he heard the news.

"Itachi? Itachi's here?" Sasuke panicked.

"Wait a minute. Why would they be here? And why would he be looking for me and not Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"_**How dare he come back?!" **_Sasuke growled while making scratch marks in the wood of the table they were sitting at.

"Sasuke…? ~"

"_**I'll finally get my revenge against him! I shall take his head!"**_ Sasuke growled darkly before taking off.

"Sasuke?!" Naruto yelled.

"I'll go get him. _**YOU **_need to go and hide." Jiraiya ordered.

"I'm _**NOT**_ abandoning him!" Naruto glared before disappearing as well

"Naruto?! Damnit." Jiraiya cursed before following them.

…

…

…

"Sasuke?!" "Sasuke! Where are you?!" Naruto yelled as he ran through a building.

It had been five minutes since Naruto lost Sasuke's scent. It wasn't until he arrived at an abandon building that he picked the scent up again.

"Sasuke! Sasuke, answer me!" Naruto continued to yell as he began opening doors.

"Damnit. I thought for sure I had picked up on his scent." The blond fox cursed as he slammed another door shut.

"**NARUTO UZUMAKI! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"** Jiraiya yelled as he appeared in front of his pupil.

"I'm not going into hiding without Sasuke." Naruto glared as he turned to walk away.

"Do you not realize the kind of danger you are in. Itachi and Kisame aren't here to shake your hand. They're here to~"

"I don't care what they're here for! **I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITHOUT SASUKE~"**

Naruto's sentence was cut short when he ran into a solid form. His nose moved in closer to get hold of the scent.

"_This scent is similar to Sasuke's but it's not __**exactly **__his. So that must mean…"_

Naruto slowly lifted his head from the form's chest before jumping and looking in amazement at the figure before him. The figure before him stood at 5'10" with long raven hair that is tied in a low ponytail. On top of his head are two raven cat ears and a matching tail swishing behind him. Naruto's ocean blue eyes moved from the figure's the black cloak with red clouds on it to the tired lines around his nose, to the line across the Leaf Village's symbol on his forehead protector and finally ended at the piercing Sharingan eyes holding his gaze.

"_**You must be the demon's vessel, Naruto Uzumaki. Hn. You don't look like much of a challenge. This should be a walk in the park."**_ The figure spoke.

Fear never coursed through Naruto's veins quite like this before. Sure he's faced some tough opponents, but nothing compared to the feline male's power before him.

"_Awe man. This guy's chakra is off the charts."_ Naruto panicked.

"_**Be careful, Kit. This is not an ordinary guy. This is Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha. The one responsible for the death of almost all of the Uchiha clan members."**_ Kyuubi warned.

"_This… is Sasuke's brother? Whoa. No wonder Sasuke has been training so hard to defeat this guy."_ Naruto gulped.

"Itachi Uchiha and Kisame. Back away from the boy and no one gets hurt." Jiraiya warned.

"Oh my. If it isn't Jiraiya. Come to watch as we steal this pathetic excuse of a demon vessel away? How sweet." The man behind Itachi smirked.

To stunned by Itachi's presence that Naruto didn't even see his partner. With timid eyes, Naruto gave this Kisame the once over. The man had pale blue skin and gills on each side of his neck, black eyes, sharp white teeth, and spiky blue hair. He wore the same cloak as Itachi and had a scratch across his forehead protector too. From what Naruto could tell the man was a shark hybrid and just as ruthless as any shark.

"I'm warning you two to stand down. I would like to avoid a fight if I can, but if I have to, I will fight you." Jiraiya glared.

"Why don't you have a seat, old man. Earth style: Sink Hole." Itachi said as he slammed his hand onto the ground.

Jiraiya and Naruto watched as black lettering moved from his fingertips, along the floor and under Jiraiya's feet. The toad hybrid jumped into the air to try and avoid the attack, but the lettering jumped off the ground, wrapped itself around his body and began dragging him into the sinkhole.

"Jiraiya!" Naruto yelled, turning around and turning to reach him. But, before he could reach him, Jiraiya had already sank into the ground and out of sight. "No. Jiraiya!"

"Hn. Great job on that technique, Itachi. I'd almost say that you did it better than Deidara." Kisame smirked.

"Now, little fox. Come with us willingly and I promise that no one will get hurt." Itachi said coolly as he took a step towards Naruto, but stopped and the caught the kunai aimed at him between his fingers.

"_**Lay a hand on him and I'll end you where you stand."**_

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked with confusion in his voice as he stared at the younger feline.

"Well Itachi. You didn't tell me that you had a twin." Kisame laughed.

"Sasuke… It's been a long time, _**Otouto**_." Itachi said in a teasing manor.

"_**DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO CALL ME THAT ANYMORE!"**_ Sasuke yelled.

"I see that you have grown your hatred for me. Good, but is it enough. Tell me, otouto, has your hatred for me gotten to the level I told you to get it to?" Itachi teased further.

"_**YOU RUINED MY LIFE! FOR YEARS, ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT WAS YOUR HEAD ON A PLATTER! ALL I HAVE DONE THESE PAST YEARS IS HATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID! But, I must thank you for one thing." **_This made Itachi raise an eyebrow. The air around Sasuke became thick and violent as a chidori began to form in his left hand.

"Sasuke?" Naruto called out to his boyfriend with concern laced in his voice.

"_**You gave me a purpose for living. You gave me a reason to become the strongest ninja in all of the Leaf. You made me who I am today. And now I get to finally see my lifelong dream come true…"**_ He pulled down the color of his black one-piece and bared his Curse Mark to everyone in the room. _**"It ends here, Itachi Uchiha. Today… I SHALL TAKE YOUR LIFE! PREPARE TO DIE!"**_

"Sasuke! Don't do it!" Naruto yelled out as his beloved raven sped past him and towards his brother.

With the power of the chidori not only struck any and everything around it, but also took out some of the wall it was touched against, just like when he used it in his fight against Gaara in the arena. Naruto watched the display with wide eyes. Itachi didn't move a muscle as Sasuke continued towards him. Was this the end? Was Sasuke going to kill Itachi right here and now?

Just when Sasuke's attack reached Itachi, the older raven feline simply brushed off the attack and grabbed Sasuke's wrists. Sasuke and Naruto looked at Itachi will wide, unbelieving eyes.

"_**Is that all you've got? How pathetic."**_ Itachi said with boredom present in his voice.

"You… You stopped my attack as if it was nothing?" Sasuke said while in shock.

"Of course it was nothing, otouto. I wouldn't even consider that an attack. In fact, it is virtually impossible for your attack to hurt worse than this."

Sasuke screamed as Itachi flicked his wrist and snapped Sasuke's just enough to fracture instead of break.

"Sasuke?!" Naruto yelled out when he saw the younger fall to the floor. "Ok that's it. No one puts a hand on him and gets away with it. You want what I've got? You're going to have to take it from me when I'm dead. Shadow Clone Ju~"  
"Too slow." Kisame said as he brought his blade down, missing Naruto by mere centimeters.

Naruto blinked at the action before trying to conjure up some chakra. When he couldn't, he looked at Kisame with anger and confusion. "What happened? Why can't I summon any of my chakra? What did you do?"

"Wondering why you can't summon any chakra, are you? You can thank my sword, Samehada, for that. It absorbs an opponent's chakra and eats it up. You won't be using any chakra for a while. Making you that less of a hassle." Kisame smirked. "Now, be a good little vessel and come here so that I can chop those arms off for ya."

"Run Naruto!" Sasuke yelled.

"I'm not leaving you! I'll stay and fight with my bare hands if I have to."

"You idiot! Get out of here. Don't worry about me." Sasuke grunted as he tried to get up, but Itachi stopped him. The older raven raised his foot and kicked Sasuke in his stomach, making him fly backwards.

"Awe. Would you like at that, Itachi. It seems that your little brother has a boyfriend. So much for reviving your clan." The shark man laughed hardily.

"Shut up and taste my fists!" Naruto yelled as he ran towards Kisame.

The shark man just swung his large blade, making the top spike out and tear apart the front of Naruto's jacket and making him fly backwards.

"Naruto!" Sasuke called out.

"Silly child. You can't defeat me. Even with your chakra, you're nowhere near my level. Now, prepare to have your limbs chopped off!" Kisame moved to bring his sword down, but stopped when a cloud of smoke appeared.

"_**You two are nothing but children who need to do their homework on their opponents."**_

When the smoke cleared, there was a large told toad blocking Kisame's blade and Jiraiya standing behind it and in front of Naruto.

"Jiraiya?" Naruto gasped.

"Thank you. You may go now. I can take it from here." The toad nodded towards Jiraiya before disappearing. "I know what you two are doing here and I just want to say that you're wasting your time. You're not getting Naruto. I'll wipe both of you off the face of this planet before that happens. Naruto." Naruto's attention was on Jiraiya when he was called. "Go stay besides Sasuke and make sure you two stay out of the way. I've got this."

"Right." Naruto nodded before running over to Sasuke. When he got to Sasuke, he held the raven in his arms. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, but I can handle this on my own. You two need to stay out of this." Sasuke grunted as he tried to get up, but failed.

"Stay down. You need to stay down before you aggravate your injuries." Naruto cooed as he moved some of Sasuke's bangs out of his face.

"Do you really think you can stop us, Master Jiraiya? You may be one of the legendary Sannin, but not even you can stop the both of us." Itachi stated blankly. "Kisame, make sure that you keep Master Jiraiya from interfering in my family's business."

"Whatever you say, Itachi." The shark man smirked.

In a blink of an eye, Itachi was in front of Naruto and Sasuke with a cold glare. "Get out of the way."

"You're not getting Sasuke without defeating me first." Naruto growled as he put Sasuke down and took his stance.

"No Naruto. He's too strong and you don't have access to your chakra right. You can't win." The raven struggled to say.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on letting him touch you. I'll die protecting you. That, I promise you." Naruto stated boldly.

"That's sweet. I'm glad that you finally found someone who cares about you, Sasuke. Now, that's one more person I can take away from you. Just like our clan."

"Why don't you shove it up your ass, Itachi!" Naruto yelled as he ran towards the older raven with his fist riled back.

Itachi wait for Naruto to get close enough before grabbing his wrist, punching him in the stomach, and throwing him into nearby wall.

"Naruto!" Sasuke yelled as he watched his boyfriend hit the wall hard enough to dent it before sliding to the floor. "You bastard! You'll pay for that."

"And how are you going to do that otouto when you can't even stand on your own two feet?" Itachi teased. At hearing his older brother's words, Sasuke used his good hand to try and stand up. When he was finally able to stand, Itachi chuckled. "Oh? So you can stand?" Sasuke glared hard before running towards Itachi. The older raven only raised his foot and kicked Sasuke into the wall at the end of the hallway. "But, it did nothing to prove me wrong. You're still a weakling." Itachi moved until he was in front of Sasuke. He reached down and grabbed the younger raven by his neck and lifted him up. "And that's all you'll ever be."

"Let me go." Sasuke grunted as he tried to remove Itachi's hand.

"You're just as weak as I last saw you, if not weaker. You may say that you have been hating me these past several years, but it's not enough. It will never be enough. It's like I said that night I murdered all of our clan members… You'll never defeat me with the hate you have for me now. You need to make it grow so that you can grow. It's actually a shame. You don't even deserve me killing you. You never deserved to die by my hands. But, you deserve a special surprise. Come, let's take a trip down memory lane." Itachi chuckled darkly.

"No. No! NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Sasuke screamed.

Naruto began to grunt as he was coming to. His head was spinning round and he was suffering from a migraine, but he couldn't let that get to him. He had to save Sasuke.

"_Where is Sasuke?"_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Sasuke?" Naruto looked up and saw that Itachi had him by the neck and that Sasuke was screaming bloody murder. "Sasuke! What have you done to him, ya bastard?!"

"Well aren't we just ruthless. Itachi used his famous Tsukuyomi on his little brother. It's a powerful genjutsu that requires eye contact. Once the victim stares into the user's eyes, they are immediately put under a genjutsu that allows the user to place them under any illusion they desire, such as watching their own death or even… reliving the day their entire clan was murdered, for as long as the user wants." Kisame chuckled.

"Oh no. Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, trying to snap his raven out of the illusion. But the raven kept screaming until he finally passed out from the stress. "Sasuke? Sasuke! You bastard! Get your hands off of him!" Naruto screamed as he ran towards Itachi.

"Oh no you don't." Kisame said as he ran after Naruto.

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!" Jiraiya yelled with his hands slammed onto the ground.

"What? What the hell is this shit?!" Kisame yelled as he tried to move but couldn't.

"This is known as my Toad Mouth Trap. Right now, we're within the digestive system of one of my toad friends. The more you move, the more he will digest you. What makes this technique one of the strongest is because anyone I have used this jutsu against has never escaped. Not fun knowing that both of you are going to die by becoming food for a toad, isn't it?" Jiraiya smirked.

"Um, Pervy-sage? I don't think being digested by a toad was on Sasuke's or my agenda today." Naruto said with panic in his voice.

"Just trust in, my jutsu, Naruto. As long as you remain calm, the toad won't digest you." Jiraiya answered.

Naruto nodded and tried his best to calm down while Kisame struggled.

"Kisame. It's time to leave." Itachi commanded.

"Right."

Kisame struggled more until her was finally free. Once he was free, Itachi and he began trying to escape. "You're not getting away from me that easily." Jiraiya smirked as he added more chakra into his attack, increasing the jutsu's strength.

Itachi and Kisame ran as fast as they could, but the wall was too fast for them. They were going to be digested very soon.

"What are we going to do, Itachi? We're not going to make it out of here alive at this rate. This wall is too fast." Kisame stated.

"I didn't want to have to do this but~"

"Huh?" Jiraiya gasped when he felt something wasn't right.

"What's the matter?" Naruto asked.

He followed Jiraiya around the corner when Itachi and Kisame should've been, but found a giant hole with black flames surrounding it.

"Damn. They got away." Jiraiya cursed.

"But how? I thought you said no one could escape?" Naruto said with slight panic in his voice.

"No one has never escaped and I defiantly wasn't counting on him using one of his most powerful attacks, Amaterasu. It's the highest Fire Release techniques. It's special to only Itachi… as far as I know that is." Jiraiya informed.

"Oh no, Sasuke!" Naruto gasped as he remembered that his boyfriend was still unconscious and still stuck to the wall Itachi had him pinned to. He ran over to where Sasuke was and helped him down and into his arms. "Sasuke? Hey Sasuke, wake up. Jiraiya, why isn't he waking up?"

"He is under a lot of stress right now because of Itachi's Tsukuyomi. For now, I would say you two are in the clear. I would suggest getting him home and letting him rest until he wakes up on his own. If he's not himself, then take him to the hospital." Jiraiya prescribed.

"Right. I'll do that right now." Naruto nodded before turning to get ready to leave.

"Oh Naruto, before for you go…. I would suggest telling Sasuke why his older brother and Kisame were after you today." Jiraiya held his hand up to stop Naruto from arguing. "I know that you're afraid of how he'll react, but if he loves you as much as you say/ believe… then it'll all work out. But, either way… you need to tell him. He deserves it, don't ya think?"

Naruto looked down and stared into Sasuke's unconscious face with worry and pain in his.

"_**Kit. I know it's hard, but Jiraiya has a point. Sasuke is your love/ mate and he deserves to know the truth… No matter how hard it is to say."**_ Kyuubi agreed.

Naruto thought it over for a few more moments before finally sighing and nodding. "You're right. I'll tell him when he first wakes up."

"Good. Watch over him… He's really going to need you, especially after today." Jiraiya said before turning to leave.

Naruto waited until Jiraiya was completely gone before adjusting Sasuke in his arms and turning to leave too.

"Come on, Sasuke. Let's get you home."

…

…

…

"_**You'll never have enough hate to defeat me." "You'll forever lose to me." "You're not even worth killing."**_

"Get out of my head!" Sasuke yelled as he sat up.

He was panting and breaking out in a cold sweat. Images from Itachi's genjutsu still played in his mind, but began to fade as he looked around at his surroundings. He noticed that he was back in his room and it was night time. Then heard rushing footsteps. Within seconds, Naruto rushed into the room. Both stared into each other's eyes and never moved, even as Naruto came over and pulled Sasuke into him into a tight embraced.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called after a few moments.

Naruto pulled away with a small smile on his face. "Yeah. It's me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just shaken up and my wrist still hurts. What happened?" Sasuke asked.

"Jiraiya managed to capture Itachi and Kisame away, but they escaped. I'm sorry, Sasuke. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I wanted to protect you, but… I failed. I'm sorry." Naruto lowered his head in shame.

Sasuke saw this and lifted his hurt wrist to run his fingers through Naruto's head. "It's alright. We're both alright, so I guess that's all that matters. I'm just really pissed that Itachi managed to get the best of me… especially after all these years. But, I just don't get it. Why was he here and why did he want you. It's already insulting that he didn't come here to fight me, but he goes after the only really important person in my life and tries to take you from me. Why is it? What is his motive? Ouch. Damn. He really did a number on my wrist."

Naruto lifted his head with a sigh and took Sasuke's wrist in his hand. "If you want to know the truth, I'll tell you… Just promise not to get scared."

Sasuke was confused for a moment, but nodded in agreement. Naruto took another deep sigh before closing his eyes. Naruto took his right hand and summoned some of Kyuubi's chakra to his hand. When he had enough, he moved his hand so that it covered Sasuke's wrist and used the chakra to flow around their hands. Sasuke watched in amazement at the scene before him. This was like nothing he had ever seen before. Then he thought back to all the times Naruto seemed to change and this same chakra was present at the time. He didn't know what to make of it. He just wanted answers.

When the orange chakra disappeared and Naruto removed his hand, Sasuke slowly picked up his wrist. He flicked it a few times and even tried a few hand signs only to discover that it was completely healed.

"How? What? What's going on? What kind of jutsu is that?" Sasuke asked.

"It's not a jutsu. It's the chakra I used, but it's not mine." Naruto answered with his head down.

"What… do you mean…?"

Naruto took a deep breath before lifting his head and staring Sasuke in the eyes with a serious look unfamiliar to Naruto's features.

"That chakra does not belong to me, but I have access to it. The owner of the chakra is Kyuubi, the Nine-Tailed fox demon that attacked the village 12 years ago."

"Naruto… What are you saying…?"

"… I am the vessel for the Nine-Tailed fox demon… That is why Itachi and Kisame were here. They wanted to take the Nine-Tails from me." Naruto said slowly.

This sent Sasuke into a state of shock. He began to piece together everything from their past battles to Naruto's stories to how the villagers treated him. At that moment… everything began to make sense to Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto saw the look on Sasuke's face and immediately became depressed. "I understand that this is a lot to take in and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you earlier. I understand if you say that we can't be together anymore. It was nice while it lasted. I promise to not make things awkward when we come together as Team 7." Naruto waited a few moments before standing up. "I'll just leave you alone while I grab my stuff and leave out of your life, forever."

Naruto's hand just touched the door knob when Sasuke's voice caught his attention. "No one said you could leave."

Naruto turned around with confusion clear on his face. "But, I thought~"

"Thought that I would get made and kick you out of my life because of that?" Sasuke smirked.

"Well yeah? I mean, I don't know how I'd handle finding out that my boyfriend is the vessel for the most deadly tailed beast in the world." Naruto confessed.

"Well it's a good thing you're not me. Come here." Sasuke said as he patted the seat in front of him. Naruto took his hands off of the knob and made his way over to Sasuke and sat down. "Now, don't get me wrong, I am very shocked at the information you just presented me with, especially after the day we've had, but I'm not going to abandon you because of something that's not your fault. You didn't ask to have the Nine-Tails sealed within you. And it makes me even more furious with the villagers for not realizing that. I do want to thank you for reviling your biggest secret to me because, to be honest, I think I would've took that secret to my grave. But that's just me. So thank you, Naruto."

Naruto took in everything Sasuke said with a giant smile as he pulled his lover into his chest tightly. "No. It's me who is lucky to have someone like you in my life." Sasuke raised his arms to hug Naruto back. With that out of the way, the air between them was a little clearer, but not crystal and Naruto know why. "By the way. I'm sorry about today. I know that you wanted to settle things with Itachi today, but I butted in." Naruto felt Sasuke's body tense up at the mention of his brother. To sooth him as he continued his speech, Naruto rubbed circles into Sasuke's back. "But you have to understand that I needed to protect you, especially knowing what they were truly there for. I already lost my parents and the old man. I'd go ballistic if I lost you. If you died, I'd kill myself so that I could be with you. I may have friends now, but I need you the most. I love you too much to be without you on this world. I know that you may think that it's not any of my business, but you are my family and main concern. Please, Sasuke, let's get stronger and defeat Itachi together. Please?"

Sasuke listened to Naruto's plea and allowed it to touch his heart. Naruto was his most important person and he wasn't going to let Itachi take him away. He was going to defeat Itachi and protect Naruto as best as he can. But for now… having Naruto safe and with him was all that mattered. Sasuke pulled away from Naruto slightly before nodding in agreement. Naruto returned the nod as he leaned in and gave Sasuke a loving kiss, which was returned. When they pulled apart, Naruto pulled Sasuke down onto his chest and pulled the covers over them. The two of them were content with just lying next to each other and allowed silence to lure them into a peaceful sleep.

…

…

…

It was later in the night, around 4 am, when Sasuke awoke in another cold sweat. Every time he slept, Itachi's voice would ring in his ears, almost driving him into insanity.

"_I have got to find a solution and quick. As long as Itachi breathes, Naruto is in danger and I won't be able to sleep peacefully again. There has to be something I can do?"_

Just as those thoughts entered his head, his Curse Mark began to act up. He hissed as he gripped his mark. That's when the solution hit him. Without hesitation, he used his hand to scratch Naruto's ears, becoming free within minutes, and getting dressed before rushing out of the window when he was sure that everything was ok.

…

…

…

Sasuke walked all the way to the gates and managed to sneak passed the guards and outside Konoha. He walked a good enough distance before summoning using his Curse Seal to summon the person who gave it to him.

"_**Sasuke Uchiha summoning me? This should be interesting."**_

"Orochimaru. I need your help." Sasuke said plainly.

"_**Oh do you now? Let me guess, it has something to do with the surprise visit from your brother today. Am I right?"**_

"How do you know about that?" Sasuke asked with suspicion in his voice.

"_**My dear Sasuke. There's not a thing that goes on in these lands that I don't know about. So what is it that you need my help with, dear boy?"**_

"I want you to train me. I can't get stronger by staying here. Legend says that you are one of the Three Sannin, correct? So you must know more than almost everyone here. Am I wrong?"

"_**No, you're right." **_Orochimaru chuckled darkly as he began to circle around Sasuke. _**"I knew you were a smart boy. Don't worry, I will mold you into someone that will be able to topple Itachi and any other shinobi that crosses your path quickly and easily. But, to be fair, I will give you two months to decide if this is really what you want. If it is, then come back to this exact spot two months from now around this time. I promise that you won't regret it, Sasuke-kun. Ta-Da."**_

And with that, Orochimaru disappeared without a trace and Sasuke made his way back home.

…

…

…

Sasuke finally made it home, the conversation weighting heavily on his mind. He knew that it was wrong to ask for help from someone like him, but he was the only person that could offer a solution to both Naruto's and his problems. This was something he needed to do if Naruto and he are to live a happy and normal life together.

"Hey Sasuke, where did you go?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"To get some fresh air." Sasuke answered quickly as he slid back into bed.

"Thinking about Itachi again?" Naruto questioned with a yawn as he wrapped Sasuke in his arms and pulled his back into his front.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. We'll get through this together." Naruto mumbled as he kissed Sasuke's bare back lovingly. "I promise."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments as his mind thought about Orochimaru's words. Even though he knew his discussion was wrong, Sasuke made sure to come up with every excuse to justify it.

'_I'm doing it for Naruto and my future… It has to be this way… so that we can be happy."_

"I promise too."

…

…

…

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'…**_

Naruto and Jiraiya go on a mission together.


	25. Festival Date

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry this is so late. I wanted to post this in time for Naruto's birthday, but I got tied up with college professors who love to give mid-terms, exams, and believe that their students don't have a life outside of their classes. Anyway, here's the new chapter.

**Warnings:** Lemon. Tender moments.

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, except this plot.

…

…

…

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Sasuke finally made it home, the conversation weighting heavily on his mind. He knew that it was wrong to ask for help from someone like him, but he was the only person that could offer a solution to both Naruto's and his problems. This was something he needed to do if Naruto and he are to live a happy and normal life together.

"Hey Sasuke, where did you go?" Naruto asked sleepily.

"To get some fresh air." Sasuke answered quickly as he slid back into bed.

"Thinking about Itachi again?" Naruto questioned with a yawn as he wrapped Sasuke in his arms and pulled his back into his front.

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. We'll get through this together." Naruto mumbled as he kissed Sasuke's bare back lovingly. "I promise."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few moments as his mind thought about Orochimaru's words. Even though he knew his discussion was wrong, Sasuke made sure to come up with every excuse to justify it.

'_I'm doing it for Naruto and my future… It has to be this way… so that we can be happy."_

"I promise too."

**Onto the Next Chapter…**

…

…

…

**Chapter 22: Festival Date**

**Normal P.O.V.**

Rays of the sun peaked through the crack in Sasuke's navy blue curtains, giving the room a more welcoming filling, which is the same feeling Gamakichi and his younger brother Gamatatsu felt when they entered the room.

"Wow, this room is way bigger than ours." Gamatatsu said.

"Shhhh, ya nimrod. You trying to wake them up?" Gamakichi whispered.

"But I thought that's what Jiraiya sent us here to do?" Gamatatsu asked.

"_**And you're doing a damn go job at it."**_

The two toad brothers jumped at hearing another voice. They turned to see Naruto glaring at them from the bed.

"Hi Naruto, good to see you. How ya been kid?" Gamakichi smiled.

Naruto didn't answer as he got out of bed, scooped the brothers up and took them into the hallway.

"Are you guys insane? You almost woke up Sasuke. And trust when I say that he's the last person you want to wake up in the morning." Naruto whispered.

"Oh, so that's your boyfriend that dad was telling us about. Nice choice, kid." Gamakichi winked.

"Does he have any snacks? I would like him more if he had snacks." Gamatatsu groaned as he rubbed his stomach.

"What do you guys want and why are you here?" Naruto groaned with his hand over his face.

"We came here to get you. Jiraiya needs to speak with you, so he sent us to fetch you." Gamakichi answered with a smile.

"What does he want with me?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know. He just said to come get you. He also said to meet him on the Training Fields in ten minutes. He'll be waiting there for you." Gamakichi answered.

"Thanks guys. I'll get ready now." Naruto nodded.

"Bye Naruto." The brothers nodded before disappearing.

When they left, Naruto went back into the room to be greeted by a sleepy Sasuke.

"Who was that?"

"Just Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, toad sons of Gamabunta." The confused look on Sasuke's face told Naruto to elaborate further. "The giant I used in the fight against Gaara."

"Oh. What did they want?" Sasuke asked while yawning and stretching.

"They were just telling me that Jiraiya needed me. I'm getting ready to meet him at the Training Fields." Naruto finished putting on his sandals before waking over and giving Sasuke a kiss. "Go back to sleep. I'll be back soon."

Sasuke nodded, not needed to be told twice, and laid down. Once Sasuke was settled in, Naruto jumped out the window and made his way to Jiraiya.

…

…

…

"Yo, what's up, old man?" Naruto smiled when he appeared on the field.

"Hey, I'm not that old. I'm only in my 50's." Naruto only folded his arms and raised one eyebrow. "Point taken. Anyway, listen up kid. As you know, Konoha is still without a Hokage and the council is getting desperate. They even went as far as to ask Kakashi and me. Naturally we declined, but I did volunteer to find them a new Hokage. She's an old friend and teammate of mine. She's the best medical-nin in history. Her name is Tsunade, One of three Sannin and the First Hokage's granddaughter. She's who this village needs, so you and I are going to go get her. Now, before you say anything, this is not a vacation. While we're gone, I will be training you and helping you learn more techniques. This trip will take a month's time and we will be traveling by foot so pack light. And try not to get too much separation anxiety from Sasuke." Naruto glared, causing Jiraiya to laugh and rub Naruto's head. "I'm just messing with you."

"When do we leave?" Naruto asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I want to be here for the Summer Festival. There are going to be a lot of ladies in nice kimonos. I wouldn't mind getting a little _**research **_done before leaving." Jiraiya smirked with his index finger and thumb cuffing his chin.

"Old man, the only thing you research are better ways to write your porn novels." Naruto said while rolling his eyes.

"They're not porn books."

"Fine graphic novels, whatever. My point still stands."

"Anyway. I also figured that this would be a nice date you two can go on before you leave for a month. Make it count. See you first thing, bright and early." Jiraiya smiled before disappearing.

…

…

…

The whole walk home, Naruto was thinking about the Summer Festival with happy thoughts. This was the first year he would be able to attend without the entire village ridiculing him. This would also be the first festival he could celebrate with Sasuke. The only problem is that the festival isn't tonight, meaning that Naruto had to keep Sasuke preoccupied for the next five hours.

"_How am I going to keep Sasuke preoccupied for that long?"_

"_**Why don't you show him that new jutsu you created the other day? You made it for him anyway, so why not show it to him now."**_

"_Great idea, Kyuubi. Thanks."_ Naruto smiled as he walked through the front door.

"Sasuke?"

"In here." Sasuke shouted back.

Naruto removed his sandals before walking into the kitchen and sitting at the table. Sasuke was at the stove, finishing up scrambling the eggs. After they were done, he poured them onto two plates along with toast and bacon before placing them on the table.

"So, what did Master Jiraiya say?" Sasuke asked.

"The council is getting desperate to find a new Hokage. They even asked Kakashi and Ero-sennin."

"Wow, they must really be desperate to ask those too." Sasuke snickered.

"Tell me about it." Naruto agreed while rolling his eyes and taking a bite of his food. "Anyway, both of them denied their request, but Jiraiya did offer to find them a new Hokage."

"Oh yeah?"

"Her name is Tsunade. Apparently she's also one of the three famous Sannin and the First Hokage's granddaughter." Naruto informed.

"Sounds like the perfect candidate." Sasuke nodded.

"Jiraiya offered to go find her for them… and he's taking me with him. We'll be gone for a month at most."

When Naruto told Sasuke this, it made the raven feline go into a coughing fit after the orange juice went down the wrong pipe. Naruto immediately jumped up to help Sasuke. He patted his raven's back until he stopped coughing.

"You ok?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Sasuke coughed one last time before taking a deep breath. "So you're going with him?" Naruto nodded. "And you'll be gone for a month?"

"At most, yes." Naruto nodded again.

"Can't you just not go?" Sasuke asked.

"I have to go. Jiraiya is going to be training me during that time. He's basically killing two birds with one stone." Naruto explained.

With confused eyes, Naruto watched Sasuke's calculating, frightened eyes. Not sure what to do, Naruto took Sasuke into his arms and held him close.

"Don't worry, I'll be safe. I promise to come back."

"That's not I was worried about." Sasuke whispered.

"Then what are you worried about?"

Sasuke turned his gaze towards the floor, thinking of a lie to tell his blond fox. Thinking of none, Sasuke just shook his head.

"It's nothing."

Naruto laughed as he held Sasuke a little tighter. "You worry too much."

Neither one said anything as they stayed like that for a few more moments. Once Naruto let go of Sasuke, they returned to finish their food. Sasuke took a little longer than Naruto, worrying the blond.

"Oh yeah. Jiraiya said that he wanted to leave tomorrow because today is the Summer Festival. I was thinking that we could have our date there." Naruto suggested.

"Yeah sure. I've never went, so I guess it'll be fun."

"What?! You've never been?! How come?" Naruto asked in shock.

"It was never that interesting. I've always wanted to go when I was a kid and had my family, but they would throw their own festival around this time. After their deaths, I never even thought of attending. Plus, I didn't want to see the pity people held in their eyes for me after that day. It was like a one day vacation." Sasuke shrugged.

"Alright then, it's a date. You and I can experience the Summer Festival for the first time together. But, before we go there… there's something I want to show you."

"What is it?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"You'll see when we get there." Naruto smiled brightly with a light blush on his cheeks.

…

…

…

The two finished their breakfast and waited for Naruto to properly shower and brush his teeth before heading out. Now, they made their way past all of the preparation for the Summer Festival and towards the park. They moved past the laughing children and chattering adults to a small clearing. When they finally got there, Naruto surveyed the area quickly.

"This is perfect." Naruto whispered.

"Alright. Let's see this new jutsu." Sasuke said with his arms crossed.

"Close your eyes first." Naruto asked, causing Sasuke to give him a confused look. "It's a surprise."

Finally giving in, Sasuke relaxed his arms and closed his eyes. Naruto waved his hand in front of Sasuke's face, to make sure his eyes were close. When he was sure Sasuke couldn't see, Naruto moved slightly away and began forming some hand signs. When he slammed his hand onto the ground, it began to tremble and giant blue and red roses sprouted from the ground. Sasuke yelped when he was lifted from the ground and now sitting on something soft.

"Naruto?" Sasuke called out nervously. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Almost."

"Naruto, I swear. You better not be summoning anything dangerous."

"I'm not." Naruto called back. After a few moments of curse words and movement, Naruto made his way over to his raven lover. "Alright. You can open them now."

Slowly and nervously, Sasuke opened his eyes and was amazed at what he saw. For miles around, there was a field of red and blue colored roses covering the clearing and disappearing into the forest.

"What is this~"

Sasuke stopped when a nervous and blushing Naruto presented him with a normal sized rose. The blush on Sasuke's cheeks darken as he took it.

"I created this jutsu for you. I made up the hand signs and added a bit of Kyuubi's charka into it in order to add the red coloring into the pedals. I remember that you were never really given anything special, since you always received Itachi's hand-me-downs. So I decided to give you a jutsu. If anyone besides you or I touch these flowers, they'll give off a poisonous gas and kill their victim within 24 hours. I can teach you how summon them, but they won't have the red color nor will they be as beautiful, but they'll be close enough and just as dead~" Naruto was cut off when Sasuke gave him a quick kiss on the lips before pulling back. "~ly."

Naruto used one of his hands to cover his deep blushed cheek, where Sasuke kissed him, with a smile.

"If you _**EVER **_tell anyone I did that, I'll kill you." Sasuke hissed with his blushed face turned away from Naruto.

The blond chuckled before leaning and placing his head in Sasuke's lap. "Deal."

…

…

…

After Naruto dismissed the flowers, Sasuke and he had lunch at Ramen Ichiraku. Sasuke, Teuchi, and Ayame laughed at how riled Naruto would get every time Sasuke teased him. Once they were full enough, the festival had begun. Sasuke had to basically tie Naruto to his hip to keep Naruto in his sights. They participated in almost all of the games, ate more food, picked out masks, and towards the end of the night, they grabbed two lanterns with candles in them to make their wish.

"What are you wishing for?" Sasuke asked as they headed to the docks.

"I have nothing to wish for. Today was just perfect. You loved the jutsu I created for you, and I got to spend all day with you without interruption at my first festival. Yep, everything in my life is perfect." Naruto answered.

"Then why do you have a lantern?"

"I'm going to send it into the air in hopes that someone who was as lonely as I was will find hope in it."

"Hehe. It doesn't work like that, Dobe. You have to make a wish." Sasuke chuckled lightly.

"Alright then. My wish, is that everyone will become as happy as I am right now." Naruto said before lighting the candle in his lantern. "What about you? What are you going to wish for?"

Sasuke's smile slowly disappeared, making Naruto worry. The raven lit the candle before releasing his lantern. Naruto followed his lead and released his as well.

"I wish…. That everything will work out…" Sasuke whispered.

Putting his worry aside, Naruto reached over and laced their fingers together as they continued to watch the lanterns float into the night sky.

"It will." This caused Sasuke to turn and look at his lover. He was going to say something against Naruto's words, but stopped when he saw Naruto's heartwarming smile. "I promise."

…

…

…

After the lanterns became nothing but blurs in the night sky, everyone began to return home. Naruto and Sasuke were doing the same before Naruto saw a photo booth and tried to get Sasuke inside.

"Naruto. I don't want to take a picture." Sasuke huffed as he tried to hold onto the sides of the booth.

"Yes you are. This is the first picture we have ever taken as a couple, so you're going to get in there and take one with me rather you like it or not!" Naruto shouted as he finally pushed Sasuke into the booth. Before entering himself, Naruto put in a coin to start it up. When he got inside, Naruto ignored Sasuke's glare. "Stop glaring at me, you know it doesn't work. Now smile. Let's act like we love either other."

Sasuke sighed as he turned to look at the camera. Naruto put an arm around Sasuke's shoulders and smiled when the camera snapped the picture. The next picture was Sasuke hitting Naruto. Then Naruto convinced Sasuke to make funny faces. To tease Sasuke, Naruto scowled like Sasuke when the picture snapped, which earned another picture of Naruto getting hit in the head. The next picture was of Naruto tickling Sasuke. Next was a picture of Sasuke falling trying to capture Naruto, who manage to sit on the ceiling of the booth. The next picture was of Sasuke laughing while Naruto fell on his head. The next picture snapped while the two was arguing. The next picture was Naruto kissing a blushing Sasuke. The next picture snapped while they had they're arms wrapped around each other and both of them had blushed and half-lid eyelids while they stared at the camera. The last picture had most of Naruto's hand covering most of the camera, but in between his fingers you could see Sasuke handing onto Naruto while the blond was on top of him. Despite the position they were in, that picture ended up being their favorite.

…

…

…

When they arrived home, Naruto had the need to be with Sasuke. To hold Sasuke. To kiss Sasuke. To be inside Sasuke. Forgetting the pictures in his pocket, Naruto hurriedly discarded his jacket and shoes at the door before jumping Sasuke. On the stairs, the two began to make-out vigorously. Both fighting for dominance, knowing that Naruto was going to win. The blond hungrily moved to his raven feline's neck and began to suck with his sharp canines, causing Sasuke to moan in pleasure. With Naruto's help, Sasuke removed his shirt and threw it with Naruto's before the two began to move up the stairs.

When they got to the top, Naruto only parted to throw his shirt. When it was gone, he attached his lips and teeth back onto Sasuke. This time, the blond went for his lover's perky nipples. The rush and electricity charging through his body turned Sasuke on more than he ever thought it would. It only electrified when Naruto lifted Sasuke off the ground and placed him on the door while continuing his assault. This sensation mad Sasuke throw his head back and wrap his legs around Naruto's waist. One of his clawed hands gripped a handful of blond hair while the other scratched at the door. Adding more strength in his right arm, Naruto shifted Sasuke's weight so that he could use his left hand to unbuckle Sasuke's shorts and grip his member. The feeling of being stroked and Naruto's mouth on his nipples made Sasuke claw at the door even more while moaning louder. In the middle of clawing at the door, Sasuke managed to grab the door handle and accidently opened the door, causing both of them to fall onto the ground.

"You alright?" Naruto asked as he got off of Sasuke.

"Well my head's not bleeding, so I guess I'm ok." Sasuke answered.

"Good." Naruto said before going back assaulting Sasuke in the most pleasurable ways.

Right when Sasuke was about to explode, Naruto pulled off both of their pants and underwear before picking Sasuke up and throwing him onto the bed, crawling on top of him and kissing him senseless. One thing Sasuke always loved about Naruto is kissing him. Whenever they kiss, both of them pour the love they share for the other into each kiss. Yes, there is some lust and physical attraction presented, but what over powers all of that is the love and passion that is poured from each other and surrounding them.

"Shit." Sasuke cursed when he felt Naruto's lubed finger enter him.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, but you could've warned me before you started." Sasuke hissed.

"You should've been paying attention. What has you so distracted?" Naruto asked.

"I'll tell you after we're finished."

"Fair enough." Naruto shrugged.

Without any more words, Naruto went back to stretching his lover's tight hole. Loving the sounds Sasuke was making while also thinking of how he'll make Sasuke scream once his strong, aching member was finally engulfed by Sasuke's tight heat. Once Sasuke was finally prepared, Naruto lathered himself up, spread Sasuke's legs, and positioned himself at his lover's entrance.

"Ready?"

Sasuke nodded, giving Naruto permission to go ahead. With a deep breath, Naruto began to push himself inside of Sasuke. Both hitched at the magnificent feeling while Naruto continued to enter him inch by antagonizing inch. After giving Sasuke a chance to adjust, he began to thrust hard. Usually, Naruto would go slow. But tonight, his hips were powered by pistons. This act was confusing and yet pleasuring to Sasuke that he decided not to ask questions. When they were connected like this, both can feel the other and both knew that the other was going to blow soon.

With this in mind, Naruto slowed down a little, going deeper and hitting Sasuke's sweet spot dead on each time, making Sasuke's claws dig into Naruto's back. But, when Naruto began to go deeper while also speeding up his thrusts. It was new, it was exciting, it was beautiful. The closer Naruto was, the faster and harder he went, the louder Sasuke screamed and the more he clawed.

"**NARUTO!"** Sasuke screamed as he clawed at his blond fox's back.  
After a few moments of this, Sasuke came and squirted all over their stomachs and chests while Naruto spilled his seed into his lover's quivering, pulsing hole.

With the little strength he had, Naruto pulled out of a panting Sasuke, got a towel, and cleaned themselves off. Once everything was done, Naruto laid down besides Sasuke, pulled the covers over them and snuggled up to him.

"You ok? Did I break you?" Naruto asked with a smile on his face.

"You're funny." Sasuke continued to pant.

"It's ok. I'm the best. I know it." Naruto smirked.

Sasuke raised his arm to hit him, but retracted and decided to cuddle into Naruto's chest instead. "I'm too tired to hit you. Be lucky."

Naruto swooped down and captured Sasuke's lips one last time for the night. "I am."

Sasuke waited until Naruto's breathing evened out before burying his face into Naruto's chest and tightening his grip around his beloved fox. Thoughts of Naruto leaving for a month tomorrow popped into his head and swam around until he willed them away.

"_Every moment I don't spend with him only shortens our time together… and it makes me sad enough to cry."_

…

…

…

**To Be Continued…**

Tsunade appears.


	26. Meeting an Old Friend

**Warnings for this Chapter:**

Nothing special.

…

…

…

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

With the little strength he had, Naruto pulled out of a panting Sasuke, got a towel, and cleaned themselves off. Once everything was done, Naruto laid down besides Sasuke, pulled the covers over them and snuggled up to him.

"You ok? Did I break you?" Naruto asked with a smile on his face.

"You're funny." Sasuke continued to pant.

"It's ok. I'm the best. I know it." Naruto smirked.

Sasuke raised his arm to hit him, but retracted and decided to cuddle into Naruto's chest instead. "I'm too tired to hit you. Be lucky."

Naruto swooped down and captured Sasuke's lips one last time for the night. "I am."

Sasuke waited until Naruto's breathing evened out before burying his face into Naruto's chest and tightening his grip around his beloved fox. Thoughts of Naruto leaving for a month tomorrow popped into his head and swam around until he willed them away.

"_Every moment I don't spend with him only shortens our time together… and it makes me sad enough to cry."_

**Onto the Chapter…**

…

…

…

**Chapter 23: Meeting an Old Friend**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

My alarm went off around 5 in the morning. I reached over and turned it off. I lied in bed a few more minutes, but what made me want to stay was because this is one of the rare times I get to cuddle with Sasuke. Sasuke isn't big on cuddling. In fact, I think he hates it. But, in the morning, he's more willing to do it. I don't know what it is, but when it's morning time, he loves to scoot closer to me and sigh in contentment. I love that part the most.

"I know you're up." I heard Sasuke grumble, making me tense.

"How did you~"

"You're heartbeat changed." Sasuke explained while yawning. "What time do you have to meet Master Jiraiya at the gate?"

"6 o'clock."

"Then hurry up and get dressed. I'll go downstairs to make breakfast and pack you some lunches." Sasuke said as he moved to sit up.

I leaned to give him a good morning kiss. "You're the best."

"I know." He smirked before getting up and grabbing one of my shirts and his boxers and heading downstairs.

Lied in bed for a few more moments before getting up. I headed to the shower. I lathered myself up, washed myself down, brushed my teeth, and got dressed. When I went downstairs, Sasuke was finishing up breakfast. I walked up to him and hugged him from behind with both my hands and tail.

"You actually showered today." He teased.

"Of course I did. When do I not shower?" I asked pulling away.

"Must I bring up the past?" He threatened.

"No…"

"Good, now go eat your breakfast while I shower." He said before leaving the kitchen.

I settled down and began to eat. By time I finished my breakfast and cleaned by plate, Sasuke was shuffling stuff by the front door. "Can you bring me that bag on the counter?" I looked right where he said and grabbed the plastic back on the table. When I got to the door, Sasuke had my bag and moving stuff around. "I packed your bag. You have an extra pair of clothes in there, five pairs of underwear, lunches to last you a while, your money pouch, weapons and everything else you need." He told me as he finished putting the lunches into my bag and handed it to me.

Everything he was doing for me made me happy. I smiled as I leaned in a kissed his lips gently before taking my bag and putting it on. "You know, Sasuke. When we're married, you could just be my perfect little housewife and I'll be the bread winner by becoming Hokage. Sasuke Uchiha-Uzumaki, housewife of Hokage Naruto Uzumaki. Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?" I smiled.

I looked at him and almost laughed when I saw him practically fuming. His right eye was twitching, hinting at his irritation.

"Ouch." I said after running my head where he hit me.

"I am no one's housewife. I've agreed to marry you, but I did not agree to be your housewife." Sasuke glared.

"Of course not. I don't think I could even picture you as one." I chuckled slightly. "Anyway, what are you going to do while I'm gone?" I asked while putting my shoes on.

"Go grocery shopping, train, and clean the house. Don't worry, I'll keep myself busy." He answered as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded.

"I know you will." I kissed him one last time before opening the door. "Stay out of trouble and be safe."

"That's what my line." He smirked. "I'll see you in a month."

I nodded before walking out of the door, through the Uchiha gate, and towards the Gates of Konoha. There, Jiraiya was waiting for me.

"Good to see that you're right on time." He smiled at me. "Where's Sasuke? He didn't come to kiss you goodbye? You'll be gone for a whole mouth. Can you survive the whole month without him?"

I growled at him before jumping up and hitting him. "Let's go, Ero-sennin."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of Sasuke today." He chuckled.

…

…

…

"_It's official. I hate Jiraiya."_

I felt my right eye twitch with irritation at his antics. We've passed every three towns on our journey and everyone we've stopped at, Jiraiya would blow our money on food, drink, hot springs, and women. I don't exactly mind the other stuff, but I hate when he wonders off with the girls and I'm left with having to drag his ass home almost every night. And I bet this town will be no different. The only thing I was thank for was that he actually taught me some cool new jutsus. Jutsus like how to move things with my chakra. He also helped me figure out that my element was wind and some cool techniques on how to manipulate it.

"We're almost there." He randomly shouted out.

"Where? Another town where you're going to flirt with all the women while I drag your ass home again?" I groaned.

"No, you little shit head. This is where we're going to find Tsunade."

"She's here? How do you know?" I asked.

"I had an informant tail her whereabouts for the last two days. Each report said that she is staying in a hotel in this town."

"That's great. Now, we can convenes her to come to come back to Konoha!" I cheered.

"Hold on there, champ. Convincing her is not going to be so easy. She's just as stubborn as you, if not more. It's going to take more than 'come home with us' to bring her around." He warned.

"Don't worry. I can handle it." I smiled while giving him a thumbs up.

"Well, since you're so confident… Let's get going."

"Right!" I yelled as I followed closely behind him.

"_This won't be too tough. I mean, how stubborn can an old lady in her 50's be?"_

…

…

…

**Tsunade's P.O.V.**

"Lady Tsunade? It's time to wake up." I heard my attendant and apprentice, Shizune, say. She had a bright smile on her face. Through half-lid eyes, I could see her pink pig ears and black and white kimono.

"_It's just like her to be up and cheerful at such an early hour."_

I rolled over on my back and threw my arm over my eyes. "Five more minutes." I groaned. That's when I felt another weight on my bed make its way up to my face. I removed my arm to see Tonton, my pet pig staring at me in the face. Sighing, I sat up and yawned. "Alright. I'm up."

"Good." Shizune smiled before running over to my room's nightstand and handing me a bottle of pills and a glass of water. I took the bottle and water graciously and began down two of the pills with the water. "Felling hung-over still?"

"I'll let you know when the medicine kicks in." I groaned again while moving to sit on the edge of my bed and scratching between my heavy, large breasts. "So, what was so important that you had to wake me up at 10 in the morning?" I asked irritably.

"I wanted to talk to you about the offer that Orochimaru gave you last night." She said bluntly.

"I don't." I huffed before getting off the bed and headed to the bathroom.

"Lady Tsunade, please be reasonable! You can't accept his offer no matter what!" I heard Shizune yell outside the bathroom door.

Her yelling about how I can't accept Orochimaru's offer went on the entire time I showered, dressed and brushed my teeth. I was able to tune her out, but the more I heard her talking, the more irritated I got. Finally frustrated, I slammed the door opened and glared at her.

"_**I'm going to get breakfast alone. And when I come back, I don't what you speaking of that man's offer to me again." **_ And with that, I walked out of our shared hotel room and slammed it shut.

…

…

…

"One bowl of Miso Ramen to go, please." I ordered.

Once the waiter brought my order out, I paid him and left with my food. I walked around town until I found a nice shady picnic to sit at. I opened the lid and parted my chopsticks before digging in. While I was eating, my mind began to reply what happened today.

Sure I felt bad for growling at Shizune, but she needs to know her boundaries. I know she's worried about me and has no trust for that snake Orochimaru. And quite frankly, neither do I.

Last night, while Shizune, Tonton and I were on the run from some people I lost gambling to, Orochimaru appeared. He told me about his failed invasion on Konoha and how he killed our former sensei. What made things worse was that he had the never to come to me asking me to fix his arms. Angered by his actions, I tried to kill him. That's when he made a deal with me. If I could fix his arms, then he would use his Impure World Reincarnation jutsu to bring back my brother Nawaki and my former lover Dan Katō from the dead. Upon hearing his offer, I was at a lost. Seeing that I couldn't make that decision at the moment, Orochimaru gave me a week to decide. It was a tough decision.

On the one hand, I would be helping the man who killed our beloved former sensei. On the other, I get my lover and younger brother back. I didn't know what I was going to do and having Shizune breathing down my back wasn't helping any. I sighed as I stared into my noodles sadly.

"What am I going to do?" I whispered.

"_**Talking to yourself, Tsunade? I always knew you weren't right in the head."**_

The voice coming from behind me made my entire body tense up. The only thing I could feel were my white and blue feelers on my head move, trying to get a sense of who was standing behind me. When I was sure who it was I swallowed the biggest amount of saliva in history.

"_It can't be."_

I turned around and my mouth opened from complete shock.

"Jiraiya?" I whispered.

"The one and only." He smiled back.

I couldn't believe my eyes. My old teammate and friend was standing before me. He had long white hair and wore his trademark Sannin outfit. He looked… incredibly handsome. I had to grab my chest when I felt my heart almost beat out of it. Back when we were kids, I had always had the biggest crush on Jiraiya, even if he teased me for being flat chested. The only reason Dan became my lover was because he asked me out. To be honest I had always wanted Jiraiya to ask me, but then I started getting closer to Dan. I did love Dan, however I wasn't in love with him. I had always been in love with Jiraiya. And, from the way my heart was reacting, I could tell that the love, I thought died years ago, was still there.

"Whoa, Tsunade. Are you ok? Are you having a heart attack?" He asked as he reached for me.

Thinking quickly, I knocked his hand away with my own.

"I'm fine. You just caught me by surprise is all." I took a few more breaths before standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"_**Whoa, Ero-sennin. You didn't tell me that she had really large breasts. No wonder you wanted to find her."**_

I was confused at who said that. I looked next to Jiraiya and saw this blond haired fox boy standing there for the first time. I took a good look at him and decided that he looked really familiar, but I couldn't remember where from. That's when I realized what he just said. Without thinking, I made a fist and hit him over the head and knocked him into the ground.

"Ouch…." He moaned in pain.

"Still got that hitting problem I see. But, how could you blame the kid for saying that?" That's when Jiraiya leaned down with come binoculars and examined my breasts. "You're breasts have grown tremendously. No can no longer tease you about not having breasts." He moved to stand up straight and give me a smile and a thumbs up. "Good job."

Fuming at his comment, I did the same to him. Both boy were whining in pain.

"Get up. I didn't even hit you guys that hard." I sighed with my arms folded.

"Not that hard?! I'd like to see what your hardest is then." The blond whined as he held his head.

"Trust me, Naruto. You don't." Jiraiya said as he stood up while rubbing his head too.

"So, are you going to answer my question or not?" I asked.

"Oh right." Jiraiya sad before clearing his throat. "A while ago, our former teammate, Orochimaru attacked Konoha and killed our former sensei. Although the village is becoming stable, they still need a Hokage. That's why we came all the way out here to find you. We need you to come back and become the Fifth Hokage."

"No." I glared.

"No? What do you mean no? Look lady, we traveled for almost a month looking for you just to have you tell us no?!" The blond fox yelled.

"Look, kid~"

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember that." He glared back.

"Fine, Naruto whatever. I don't have time to be leader of some village I no longer want to be a part of. I once loved that village, but the two people I loved died protecting that village. And one of them wanted to be Hokage. I refuse to go back there and protect something I no longer believe in. Nor will I ever go back to take the dream of one of my loved ones. I'm sorry, but you've made that trip for nothing." I said before turning my back towards them and my arms crossed

"But, Tsunade~"

"No Jiraiya. My mind is made up. Now leave me and don't come looking for me again."

"You're acting childish." I heard Naruto grumble, causing me to turn around and glare at him.

"_**What did you say?"**_

"You heard me. You're acting childish. I'm sorry that you lost some of your loved ones, but that's no reason to hate the Hidden Leaf Village. That should make you want to protect it even more. Hey died protecting something they love, so you should be protecting thing they believed, trusted and loved. But instead, you want to just turn and run like cowered. I for one love the Leaf and had a harder life than you could ever imagine because of those people. But, I still fight and protect them with all of myself and hopefully become their Hokage. I could be like you and shun them for what they did to me, but I'm not. One day I'm going to lead them and die for them and have no regrets. I'm not selfish, unlike you, ya old hag. And the Leaf would be better off without a selfish person running it, like you." Naruto said with a glare before turning and walking away.

What he said managed to piss me off, but it also calmed me down. That fire in his eyes reminded me so much of Nawaki that, for a quick second, I thought he was standing right in front of me.

"I'm spry about him. He's just as stubborn and feisty as you are." Jiraiya apologized.

"No. It's ok." I said calmly.

"I need to go check on him and calm him down. I'll catch you around." Jiraiya said before leaving.

I watched their retreating backs with a soft smile on my face. I let his words, especially the part where he called me selfish, run through my head as I sat back down and laid my head on top of my folded arms.

"_What does that kid know anyway? Calling me selfish? But, I gotta say… the kid has spunk."_

…

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**To Be Continued…**

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**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Tsunade goes to talk to Orochimaru.


	27. A Change of Heart

**Warnings for This Chapter:**

Nothing special. Slight JirTsu.

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for not updating these past two months. I finally finished my finals and am on my Winter Break. Unfortunately, things didn't work out like I had hoped and I couldn't update like I wanted. But, I'm going to make up for it. I will continue all of my stories. I will never abandon them. And, I even have more in store. So sit back, relax, and enjoy my apology chapter.

I also know that some of the facts in here are not true or different, but you were already forewarned that that would happen. I only did this to fit the story the way I wrote it, so don't be alarmed.

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**Last Time on **_**"Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

"No." I glared.

"No? What do you mean no? Look lady, we traveled for almost a month looking for you just to have you tell us no?!" The blond fox yelled.

"Look, kid~"

"The name's Naruto Uzumaki, remember that." He glared back.

"Fine, Naruto whatever. I don't have time to be leader of some village I no longer want to be a part of. I once loved that village, but the two people I loved died protecting that village. And one of them wanted to be Hokage. I refuse to go back there and protect something I no longer believe in. Nor will I ever go back to take the dream of one of my loved ones. I'm sorry, but you've made that trip for nothing." I said before turning my back towards them and my arms crossed

"But, Tsunade~"

"No Jiraiya. My mind is made up. Now leave me and don't come looking for me again."

"You're acting childish." I heard Naruto grumble, causing me to turn around and glare at him.

"_**What did you say?"**_

"You heard me. You're acting childish. I'm sorry that you lost some of your loved ones, but that's no reason to hate the Hidden Leaf Village. That should make you want to protect it even more. Hey died protecting something they love, so you should be protecting thing they believed, trusted and loved. But instead, you want to just turn and run like cowered. I for one love the Leaf and had a harder life than you could ever imagine because of those people. But, I still fight and protect them with all of myself and hopefully become their Hokage. I could be like you and shun them for what they did to me, but I'm not. One day I'm going to lead them and die for them and have no regrets. I'm not selfish, unlike you, ya old hag. And the Leaf would be better off without a selfish person running it, like you." Naruto said with a glare before turning and walking away.

What he said managed to piss me off, but it also calmed me down. That fire in his eyes reminded me so much of Nawaki that, for a quick second, I thought he was standing right in front of me.

"I'm spry about him. He's just as stubborn and feisty as you are." Jiraiya apologized.

"No. It's ok." I said calmly.

"I need to go check on him and calm him down. I'll catch you around." Jiraiya said before leaving.

I watched their retreating backs with a soft smile on my face. I let his words, especially the part where he called me selfish, run through my head as I sat back down and laid my head on top of my folded arms.

"_What does that kid know anyway? Calling me selfish? But, I gotta say… the kid has spunk."_

**Onto the Next Chapter…**

…

…

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**Chapter 24: A Change of Heart**

**Tsunade's P.O.V.**

"I'm going to bed, Lady Tsunade." Shizune announced, snapping me from my thoughts.

"Alright." I sighed from my seat in front of the window.

In the background I could hear her and Tonton, our pet pig, settle into their shared bed. After hearing their breathing even out, I went back to my thoughts.

"_What am I going to do?"_

Felling like a broken record with that same thought plaguing my mind, I gave another sigh. Not only was Orochimaru's offer hanging above my head, but what happened earlier tonight. Meeting Naruto hit nerves that I thought died a long time ago. After watching them leave, all I could think about were the brat's words and how much they reminded me of my lover, Dan, and my brother, Nawaki. I thought of Nawaki the most. I never thought I would meet someone that acted and almost looked like my brother after his early death. I remember that day too.

It was his birthday and he was called away on a minor mission. I told him, before sending him off, to return safely. While he was gone, I was busy getting our house ready for his party. I baked the cake, prepared his presents, and readied the house for his return. When it began to get late, I had started to worry. Dan was beside me the whole time, trying to calm me down. But it didn't work. I could not shake the feeling that something terrible had happened to him. And I was right. When the sun had set and the moon was almost at its highest in the sky, I made the decision to go look for him, despite my grandparents' wishes. To ease everyone, Dan had offered to tag along. We were just about to leave when the door opened and a sadden Orochimaru was standing there. I asked him what was wrong and where my brother was. He didn't say a word. Instead, he grabbed my hand and placed the jeweled necklace, I gave Nawaki that same morning, into my hand. I was too shocked. After what seemed like hours, I just stood there, motionless, staring at my grandfather's necklace before finally surrendering to reality and falling to the ground in tears.

The necklace I had given him was from our grandfather. It is said to have the ability to have our grandfather's chakra inside of it, giving it special abilities such as controlling a jinchūriki and their tailed beast. I found no use for it, but when Nawaki confided in me that his dream was to follow our grandfather's footsteps and become Hokage, I gave him the necklace as a good luck charm. I told him that it would help him achieve his dream and it was also a promise that he would become Hokage soon. With a hug, an 'I love you', and a kiss on his forehead, I sent Nawaki on his way with his team. It just sadden me to know that that was the last time I would ever see my little brother ever again. After that, I just remember spending a lot of time in my room staring at the necklace and crying.

I never put it back on, out of respect for Nawaki, but I always held and slept with it. Had it not been for Dan forcing me out of my room, I would've never left or returned to my normal cherry self. Had it not been for Dan, I would've made it through it all. That's why I fell for him. I loved him. It wasn't until later, especially after interacting with a certain pervert former teammate of mine, that I realized that I wasn't in love with Dan. Although I did love him, I wasn't in love with him. To my relief and shock, he had known all along. He said just being by my side was enough and that he would always love me. After that, he remand my best friend and I was grateful for it. That's why, to this day, his death still haunts me.

I was out with him when he died. I was devastated after and while witnessing it. I tried everything I could to heal his wounds, but they were too severe. He knew that he was going to die while I refused to accept it. I could not lose someone else I cared for. I wanted to save him. I wanted to keep him with me. Even though I wasn't in love with him, he was still very important to my life and I couldn't let him go. But he was ready. He told me that he was ready to let go. I begged and pleaded and cried and told him to hold on, but he was ready to let go. While I held him in my arms and cried, he whipped my tears away, with a smile, and spoke. He told me that he never wanted to see me said again. He told me that he would forever watch over me from the heavens. He told me that, even though I didn't love him the way he loved me, he wanted to see me happy and smiling with the person I did truly love. And, with his final breath, he told me that he will always love me and that he was grateful for having me believe in his Hokage dream.

Yes, the fool wanted to become Hokage, just like Nawaki. He was always cool tempered and a great strategist. I believes that he would make a greater Hokage than my grandfather. That's why I gave him the necklace. I did not have the desire to become Hokage, unlike Dan and Nawaki, so keeping the necklace locked away in my room was pointless. Besides, Nawaki would want me to give it to someone who shared his dream. It just sadden me to see that the second person to wear this necklace was dead. Before dying, Dan made me promise to hold onto the necklace, but I didn't want to.

After Dan's death, I decided to leave the Leaf Village and never return. Shizune, Dan's niece begged me to tag along. She wanted to take care and watch over me. She said that Dan came to her in one of her dreams and asked her to do this favor for him. Figuring it would be easier to accept than to argue, the three of us, Shizune, Tonton and myself left the village and everyone we knew behind. We didn't get far before I spotted the river Dan, Nawaki and I used to visit all the time. In my eyes, the necklace was cursed. I lost count of all the times I wanted to just throw the necklace into the river to prevent any more deaths this necklace would bring. But I couldn't. It would be like I spat on Nawaki and Dan's memories. So I kept the necklace and wore it around my neck. This way I kept at least one of my promises to Dan and I could keep both Nawaki and him with me during my travels. But then, here comes this loud mouth kid spouting the same dream Nawaki and Dan shared and it cut me deep. Being around this Naruto brat made me believe that both of my loved ones were still alive and standing beside me, bringing me much grief and happiness. Naruto brought their memories back to life, but he also made me realize that they weren't truly alive.

The last thing I thought of was the other promise I made to Dan. He knew that that pervert Jiraiya had stolen my heart. Even to this day I can't figure out how he did it. With his dying breath, Dan made me promise that I would live happily after with Jiraiya, but that was one promise I couldn't keep. It had been years since I figured out how I felt for the pervert, but I still couldn't bring myself to say anything, especially with all the mourning I was doing. Even now, with Jiraiya in front of me and in the same town, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. I feel so pathetic. Not only am I not horning Dan's dying wish, but I feel like a coward. I could shatter the ground with one finger, but I can't bring myself to tell the person I love how I fell about them.

"What kind of woman am I?" I sighed deeply.

"_**That's a long list that I'd prefer to put to say in alphabetical order."**_

I looked up to see said pervert sitting on my windowsill with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face.

"What do you want?" I glared.

"I came to apologize for Naruto's behavior earlier. You'll have to forgive him, but you should be used to it. I mean, after all, he acts just like your brother used to, no?" He answered.

This caught me by surprise. After recovering, I returned his words with a smirk of my own.

"You think so too? I was just thinking about that. But, I'm sure that there is more to this visit than just that, so spill." I said with my arms and legs crossed.

"You're right. I came to try and convince you to change your mind about coming back with Naruto and me."

"You're wasting your breath." I huffed.

"I don't think I am. Despite what you may be feeling, I know you still care for the village. It's where you grew up, it's where all of your memories remain, and it's where you belong. You shouldn't be roaming the country, trying to run away from your problems. Your village needs you. Orochimaru tried to destroy it, but you can save it. You can become their savior."

"But what if I don't want to be?" I whispered. I looked into Jiraiya's black eyes before looking away and sighing again. "Being Hokage was Dan and Nawaki's dream, not mine. I ever had a desire to obtain that position and I still don't. How can you expect me to go back and take the dream that they worked hard to obtain?" I asked, sadness laced in my voice.

"Because that's what they would've wanted." This took me back. I turned to face him and listen to his explanation. "They both loved that village enough to want to protect it. So, when the thing they love the most is in trouble and you're the only person that can save it… they'd want you to do what they can't. Not because it's the right thing to do, but because they know that you're the one person qualified for the job."

I thought about his words for a few moments before uncrossing my arms and legs and leaning forward so that my elbows rested on my needs and my arms dangled in between my legs. "How do you know all of this?"

"Because I see it in Naruto. He's frustrated because, yes becoming Hokage is his dream, but he knows that he can't do it right now. He also knows that his home is in danger and will do anything to protect it. Even if it means allowing someone else become Hokage until he is ready. That's why he was pissed when you declined. He needs you to step up and protect the village in a way that he can't. If you don't then, he won't have a home and his dream will fall apart in front of his face. This boy has been through enough. Do not become the reason he gives up everything he's overcame and destroy his dream."

I took in his words again. To be honest, I felt more guilt than I originally did. A tactic Jiraiya is known for, but it's not all his fault. One thing I never liked about Jiraiya is that he brings out your fears and makes you feel guilty for not conquering them. This trait was only annoying because he used to do it to me all the time when we were growing up together. But, I was also grateful because it allowed me to see how foolish I've been. Thoughts about Naruto began to run through my head until another question popped up.

"Quick question… This Uzumaki kid seems familiar… Have I ever met him? And I don't mean as in he reminds me of my brother and Dan." I asked curiously.

"Why yes. You were going to deliver him twelve or thirteen years ago before you disappeared."

I thought about his answer before gasping in shock. "You mean, that's Minato, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina, the fiery red haired, kid?"

"He's also the Nine-Tailed Fox's vessel." He added.

I whistled at the information. "Well, that certainly explains a lot. He acts just like Kushina and looks just like Minato when he was younger." I chuckled lowly. "And, to be the Nine-Tails' vessel too? He must've had a hard life. What happened? I thought Kushina was the Nine-Tails' vessel. How did he become the vessel? I know that when a vessel does have kids, some of the demon's chakra is passed down, but not the whole demon."

"On the day Naruto was born, the Nine-Tails escaped Kushina's body, terrorized the village and managed to kill a good portion of shinobi. Deciding it would be best, Minato gave his life to seal the beast inside of Naruto. But, before he was completely sealed, the Nine-Tails attacked Naruto. Both Kushina and Minato gave their lives to protect Naruto until the jutsu was complete. Minato's dying wish was that Naruto be looked at as a hero, but the villagers didn't agree. Things are getting better, but during his childhood, Naruto was discriminated against and ridiculed. He's a brave boy to want to have a dream of becoming Hokage for a village that caused him misery. But, he loves the village so much and wants to make a difference, that'll he'll stop and nothing to realize his dream and protect his village till his dying breath. And, despite having a boyfriend and earning the respect and friendship of some of the villagers, he continues forward with that same drive. He defiantly hits the ground running every time he wakes up." Jiraiya spoke with pride in his voice.

"I never realized that this kid had a whole story to him. He has a boyfriend, ya say?" I asked curiously with a smirk.

"Yeah. He's dating Sasuke Uchiha."

"Sasuke Uchiha, huh? Isn't he the last of the Uchiha Clan?"

"No. Right before we left and right after Orochimaru's attack on the Leaf, he and his partner Kisame arrived to kidnap Naruto. That was when Naruto and Sasuke learned that Itachi was alive and well, but he's a rouge ninja and affiliated with a group called the Akatsuki. They were after Naruto to extract The Nine-Tails from him and managed to get injured in the process. That's also another reason Naruto wants you to come back. I told him what a world famous healer you are and he jumped at the chance to bring you back. He needs you to heal Sasuke."

"What's wrong with him?" I questioned.

"During the battle with Itachi and Kisame, Itachi used his famous Tsukuyomi to mess up Sasuke's mind. Although, Naruto says that Sasuke is fine, I believe that it still affects him. I mean, no one can walk away from that kind of attack practically fine. Also, during the Chunin Exams, Orochimaru appeared and gave Sasuke his curse mark. We were hopping maybe you could take a look at it. So, you see why Naruto is so dependent on you? Please, Tsunade. If you don't do it for me, our late former sensei, or the village. At least do it for this boy." Jiraiya pleaded.

I thought over the offer a few more moments before sitting up straight and folding my arms. "You said that he's your student as well as Minato's son, right?" He nodded. "The he shouldn't have an issue with learning the Rasengan, correct?"

"I don't see why not. Where are you going with this?" He asked.

"I have an _**arrangement **_set up by the end of this week which is in three days. If Naruto can successfully master this jutsu, I'll go back to Konoha with you guys and become Hokage. Deal?" I suggested with my arm outstretched.

"You still have that gambler's disease in you, huh? Alright. It's a deal. Get ready to pack your stuff woman."

"We'll just have to see, won't we?" I smirked as we shook hands.

I was ready to let go, but I wasn't ready for the next part. To my surprise, Jiraiya pulled me into him and crashed pour lips together. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to feel. All I knew was that my heart felt like it was going to beat out of my chest and I thought I was going to faint. Without thinking, I closed my eyes and returned the kiss. I felt my hand reach up and tangle themselves in his shaggy, long white locks while one of his arms snakes around my midsection. And pulls me further into him. The hands we shook with was creating a small distance between us while also bringing us closer together. This was something that I had only dreamt about. I never knew that it would be coming true and I never would've guessed that it'd be coming from him. This was everything that I had hopped and dreamt… It was magical. After what seemed like forever, we pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes.

I don't know how, but I managed to find my voice to speak. "What was that for?" I whispered.

"Just something I've always wanted to do." He whispered back before kissing the diamond on my forehead and letting his lips rest there.

"What makes you think that I've wanted to do this too?" I asked with a soft smile and blush on my face.

"If you didn't, you would've sent me falling like you did when we were kids." He smiled. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." I returned with a blush and light smile.

It was reluctant, but I watched as he pulled away from me and moved to sit on the edge of the windowsill. "I better go give the kid the good news. See you in three days. Be good."

"Yeah, see ya." I nodded back.

And just like that, he was gone. All those years of dreaming and loving him… It felt nice having him for those few moments. With a wider smile on my face, I touched my fingers to my pink lips and relished in the "afterglow" of that magical kiss before getting up and heading over to the window. I looked down and saw him staring at me. We stared at each other for a few moments before he finally turned and left. I gave an unnoticed wave as I watched his retreating back and shut the window.

"_That old fool… He always manages to worm his way into my heart."_

…

…

…

**Normal P.O.V.**

Naruto had just got out of the shower, toweled himself dry, and slipped into his pajamas when Jiraiya walked into the room.

"You're pretty late. Did you manage to get lucky?" Naruto teased.

"I was out… visiting an old friend."

"That old friend wouldn't happen to be Tsunade, would it?" Naruto asked. Jiraiya nodded in response. "Hn. I figured. What did you guys talk about?"

"A lot of things." Jiraiya simply said. Naruto wanted to push the matter further, but he knew that the old toad sage would tell him once he became comfortable. So he waited. He watched, carefully, as Jiraiya moved about the room and did his nightly routine. After he slipped into his sleeping kimono, Jiraiya spoke again.

"You know she doesn't hate you." He stated calmly, causing Naruto to look at him in curiosity. "Tsunade doesn't hate you. It's just… hard…. To see you…"

"What do you mean?"

"You… remind her of her brother, Nawaki and late former lover, Dan Katō. They died a long time ago while we, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and myself, were still in the Leaf village. To anyone who knew him, you look similar to her brother, Nawaki. He died on his birthday. He was the same age as you." Jiraiya informed.

"I'm sorry to hear that. To look like someone who she lost, must be hard for her to see me." Naruto said in a low, sadden voice. "How do I remind her of her late former lover?"

"All three of you share the same dream… to become Hokage. I know where she's coming from. It's not fair that she has to step up and become something that she had no desire of becoming; while the ones closest to her worked hard and died before their dream was realized. It must be a nightmare."

Naruto nodded, once again, in understanding before speaking. "So, what is she going to do? I hope you were able to change her mind?"

"I don't think I'm going to be the one to change her mind." Jiraiya smirked as he looked at him.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"One of the things we talked about was you. She was curious as to who you were and what you were about. She also wanted to know why I brought you with me."

"You mean, it wasn't because you wanted to train me?"

"That was part of the reason, but not the main one. Like I said earlier, you remind Tsunade of her of Dan and Nawaki. I knew that Tsunade wouldn't accept the offer on her own. So, I figured that if I brought something to help remind her of who she used to be, then she would be more inclined to accept the job." Jiraiya explained.

Naruto didn't know how to feel. On the one hand, he felt used. But, on the other hand, he was gaining something out of it, so he couldn't be too mad. Deciding to be indifferent about it, Naruto nodded in understanding.

"Hn. Looks like your plan back fired. She still said no." The blond fox said as he moved to sit on the bed with his arms crossed.

"Well I wouldn't say that." The old toad smirked, confusing Naruto. "I didn't just bring you here to train you and because you remind Tsunade of her late loved ones. I also brought you here because of your special ability."

"You mean Kyuubi's chakra?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "Your ability to change people. Naruto, when you were growing up, you didn't really have anyone, right? But, through hard work and dedication, you managed to gain some friends, respect from some of the villagers, and even gained the famous Sasuke Uchiha as a boyfriend. You may not think it's much, but it really is. You possess the ability that most people would kill for. With your determination, personality, smile, and aura, you can change just about anyone. Even some of the coldest of people. Tsunade has lost her way because of her past. So, by bringing you with me… I was hoping that your special power to change her mind."

Naruto felt pride in how highly his sensei thought of him. It was true that people have told him something similar, but hearing it like this made him feel like he actually had a purpose besides loving Sasuke and becoming Hokage.

"Thanks Jiraiya. That really means a lot coming from you." Naruto smiled before laying down. "So, do you think that my "special power" is working on the old hag?"

"I think so. But, it also helps that there is a bet to strengthen your power."

"A bet?"

"One thing you need to know about Tsunade is that she loves to gamble. Besides being known as one of the great Sannin, she is also known as the Legendary Sucker. So, when I told her that you were the Fourth Hokage's son and my pupil, she decided to make a deal with you. If you can learn the Rasengan within the next three days, then she'll come back with us." Jiraiya informed.

"Rasengan?"

"One thing that I didn't tell you was that I was the one to teach your father."

"You were his sensei? So that means you must've known my mother too? Do you know what she was like?" Naruto asked in excitement as he practically jumped out of his bed.

"Yeah I knew her. She was just as excited, fiery, determined, and hot headed as you. Your father was more calm and caring. It was funny watching them interact. Kushina, your mother thought Minato, your father looked like a girl while your father couldn't get enough of talking or stalking your mother. It was quite cute in a way." Jiraiya said while smiling at the memory. "Tsunade knew them too. In fact, she was the original Medical-nin assigned to give birth to you. But, she disappeared about a month or two before that happened. That's also one thing we bonded over tonight."

Naruto thought about what Jiraiya was telling him and smiled one of the saddest smiles anyone has ever seen. "I wish I could've met them. Can you tell me more stories about them?"

"Not tonight. But, if you win the bet between you and Tsunade, then I'll tell you everything you want to know when we get back to the village. Deal?" Jiraiya offered with a smirk.

"Deal! Now, tell me what I have to do?"

"Before your father died, he created an A-rank technique he called the Rasengan. What it does is takes the shape transformation of one's chakra to the highest point and combine it with chakra's nature affinity. What makes this technique different is that it does not require using hand signs. He did not accomplish this before he died, but I did. He taught what he had done so far to me. I vowed that, after learning of his death, to finish what he started. Now, I'm going to pass it onto you. If you can master it, then you would be the third shinobi in the world to know how to use the original technique your father created. That is what you will have to do for this bet. You are given three days to master the Rasengan. If you do, then Tsunade will come back with us. If not, then we would have made this journey for nothing. But, I believe in you kid. Not because you are Minato's son. Not because you're my student. I believe in you because you are Naruto Uzumaki, the next Hokage! So, any questions?"

Naruto thought about it for a few moments before giving a smirk filled with determination. "When do we being?!"

…

…

…

**Three Days Later**

Tsunade, Tonton, and Shizune rose with the morning sun. Today was the day that Tsunade was to meet up with Naruto to see if he mastered the Rasengan. Today was also the day that she was to meet up with Orochimaru to give him her answer. With all of this weighting on her mind, Tsunade sat deep in thought by the window. Deep down, she had hoped that Naruto managed to master the technique. The proposition given to her by her former teammate was very tempting. She would get her best friend and beloved brother back in exchange for sacrificing two people and healing Orochimaru's arms. Jiraiya was right. She still cared about the Hidden Leaf Village, because it was her home and it was built by her grandfather. But, the two people she cared about the most would be back in her life. How bad could it be? Somewhere, deep within her, she knew that healing Orochimaru's arms basically meant that she was destroying the Leaf herself. But, there thought of having her two most important people back in her life was clouding her judgment. It wasn't until late last night that the answer finally came to her. She knew what she has to do. Granted, she knew that she should've done it right then and there, but she intends on doing what she needs to do to be happy.

With her mind made up, Tsunade stood up and headed towards the door. "Let's go see how the brat managed to master the Rasengan."

"Lady Tsunade." Shizune called out nervously, causing her mistress to stop in front of the door. "Have you made a decision?"

"… … … I have… …"

"What have you decided?"

Tsunade didn't answer right away, increasing the anxiety within Shizune and Tonton. The slug antennas on top of Tsunade's head wiggled a little bit while she thought about if it was worth telling her assistant or not. Having decided, Tsunade spoke.

"That's none of your business."

"Lady Tsunade! You can't possibly tell me that you're actually considering taking that liar up on his offer?! If you heal his arms, then you'll be the cause of the Leaf's destruction! I know that that's your former teammate, but would you seriously give him the ability to destroy your grandfather's legacy just to see your brother and my uncle again?! I may not know the First Hokage or your brother well, but I know my uncle! None of them would want you to have any part of this! And if they found out that you had a hand in destroying the one thing that all three of them loved for a selfish reason, then I know that they would never forgive you… And neither will I." Shizune panted out.

She had been by Tsunade's side since the death of her uncle. Before she convinced Tsunade to let her travel with her and Tonton, Dan came to her in a dream. Her had asked Shizune to take care, protect, and watch over Tsunade. Out of respect for him, Shizune agreed with no hesitation. Over the years they spent together, Shizune grew to admire and respect the slug Sannin. But, right now, as her hold on Tonton and her anxiety increased, she wondered if her words were strong enough to honor the job her uncle entrusted her with.

Tsunade didn't say a word as she let Shizune's rant sink within her mind. She already knew what she was going to do. Tsunade knew what needed to be done, and no one was going to stop her.

"_**Mind who you're talking to."**_ Tsunade growled as she through a glare over her shoulder, causing Shizune and Tonton's pig ears to lay flat against their skulls. Feeling bad about having growled at them, Tsunade's expression softened as she turned back to face the door. "Let's go, Shizune."

Sighing in defeat, Shizune nodded before following after her mistress.

"_Please make the right decision, Lady Tsunade."_

…

…

…

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade called.

"Yo!" He answered back with a wave.

"I've come to see if Naruto lost our little bet." Tsunade smirked.

"I didn't lose! I'll show you!" Naruto yelled before forming a chakra sphere in his hand and towards a tree with it. "Rasengan!"

Everyone was amazed at the destruction the technique caused the tree. To examine further, Tsunade went to the tree and got a closer look.

"Hm. Impressive. You did a good job with creating and using the technique." Tsunade praised.

"See! I told you! Now you get to come back with us!" Naruto cheered.

"Sorry kid, but no dice." Tsunade said.

"What?! How could that be?!"

"It's true that you were able to execute the attack well, but you haven't mastered it. That attack was meant to be more destructive. This was sloppy and you could tell that it was an amateur trying to copy the Fourth Hokage's technique. It's true that you came close to mastering it, but not close enough to win." Tsunade informed.

Jiraiya walked over to the same tree and examined it before letting out a sad sigh. "I hate to admit it, but she's right Naruto. Sorry, kid. You did come close though."

Naruto lowered his head, ears and tail in shame. "I'm sorry that I disappointed you, Ero-sennin."

"It's alright, Naruto. Don't worry about it. You'll get it one day." Jiraiya said.

"I'll have to admit that you're a pretty strong genin, but a deal's a deal and you failed. Jiraiya, it was nice seeing you again. Oh and when you return to the Hidden Leaf, tell those fucktards on the Council that they'll have to find another stool pigeon to boss around. Now, if you'll excuse us… we have a prior engagement. Come Shizune." Tsunade said before walking away from the two males only to be stopped by Naruto's voice.

"I know we had a deal, but I promise you this…" Naruto lifted his head and ears and glared at Tsunade with determination burning in his eyes. "I **WILL**__become Hokage and I will master the Rasengan! I'll never give up! And, if I master it before I become Hokage, then I want you to take my place until I'm ready to accept the job."

"You've already tried it once. What makes you think that you'll master it? Because you're the Fourth Hokage's son? Because you have the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed with in you? What makes you want to chase after such a foolish dream?" Tsunade asked.

"It's true that, because I am a jinchūriki a lot of the villagers weren't nice, feared, discriminate, and even tortured me. But, the Hidden Leaf Village is my home. It has been and always will. I will do anything I can to protect it and the best way I know how is by getting stronger, showing people why they should respect and accept me, and by becoming Hokage. It has always been my dream to be the best Hokage ever! I want to be so great that I even surpass my old man. And that's what I'm going to do. You have my word. And, in case you forgot, I **NEVER **go back on my word." Naruto announced with his chest puffed out in pride.

Some of the words shocked Tsunade. It's true that a lot of them sound like the same words Nawaki and Dan spoke to her, but most of it was coming from a determined kid. And, with each of his words, Tsunade could feel some of her coldness melting away.

"Hn. Well, we'll just have to see about that. Won't we? Come along, Shizune. We don't want to keep our guests waiting."

"Hold it right there, Tsunade." Jiraiya called out, causing the blond slug to stop. "I can't let you go to him."

Recovering quickly from her initial shock, Tsunade slowly spun around to face her old friend and great love. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come now. You think that I don't know that Orochimaru came to you asking for a favor. I'm not stupid, Tsunade."

"Fine. Since you don't want me to play stupid, I won't. You're right. Orochimaru did come to me asking for a favor. Now if you excuse me, I have to go meet our bastard form teammate."

"What was the favor, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked.

"That's none of your concern." She shouted back.

"He wants her to heal his arms!" Shizune blurted out.

"Shizune!" Tsunade shouted.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade. I wasn't going to say anything, because I thought you would make the right decision. But, now, I fear that you won't." Shizune explained before turning towards a shocked Jiraiya and Naruto. "A couple of days ago, Orochimaru and his assistant, Kabuto, appeared and asked Lady Tsunade to heal his arms that your late former sensei, the Third Hokage, injured. He said that if she did this, then he would revive Dan and Nawaki before destroying the Leaf Village."

"That dirty snake! Using an initiative like that to get someone to do his bidding. It's sickening." Naruto growled in anger with his fists tightly clenched.

"Tsunade, you can't seriously be thinking of taking his offer, are you?" Jiraiya asked.

"I already know what I'm going to do, so butt out of it already!" Tsunade shouted.

"You know what you're doing is wrong. Despite your decision, even thinking of accepting an offer like that is wrong. Are you willing to throw everything your grandfather, the **FIRST **Hokage, worked so hard to build and what Nawaki and Dan fought to protect away for a selfish reason. I understand you're upset and still in mourning, but this is nothing to full around with." Jiraiya scolded.

"Don't you think I know that? I'm a big girl Jiraiya. I can handle myself and make my own decisions without you lecturing me." Tsunade snapped.

"Fine then. I won't lecture you, but I will stop you." Jiraiya said.

"I won't give you that chance."

Was all Tsunade said before punching the ground and splitting it in half. The ground beneath began to shake as the group was splitting. Not having enough time to react, the ground collapsed, causing them to fall into the carter she made. When they were at the bottom, Tsunade used a nearby boulder to cover the hole. The shouts, objections, and curses coming from the four individuals under the boulder broke part of her heart, but she had to do it to protect them.

"_I'm sorry, but I don't you guys getting hurt. This is something I have to do alone. I refuse to have anyone else's blood on my hands."_

With her determination on her face, Tsunade ran off in the direction that Orochimaru and Kabuto would be waiting for her.

…

…

…

"I can't believe she trapped us down here." Naruto growled.

"That Tsunade. What is she thinking?" Jiraiya questioned in anger.

"I don't know, but whatever it is it's not good." Shizune sighed with a worried Tonton in her arms.

"Shizune. Do you know where Tsunade is supposed to meet them?" Jiraiya asked.

"Why yes, of course."

"Good. Stand back everyone. Once I remove the boulder you will lead us there. Alright?"

The raven pig nodded before Naruto and she stepped back and watched as Jiraiya used a Rasengan to destroy the boulder. Once they were free, Shizune set Tonton down.

"Tonton. I want you to go back to the room and wait for us there. I don't want you getting hurt in this battle." The pig nodded and took off running towards the town. Once she was gone, Shizune turned towards the boys. "Let's go."

All three of them nodded before following Shizune towards the meeting place.

…

…

…

"Ah. I see you've come. I almost thought you weren't going to show." Orochimaru smirked from his leaning position on a nearby wall.

"I told you I'd come didn't I?" Tsunade said as she walked closer to the two.

"Have you made your decision?" Kabuto asked.

Feeling uneasy in Orochimaru and Kabuto's presence made Tsunade tighten her defenses even more. With her resolve intact and determination on her face, Tsunade was ready to give her answer.

"I did. I originally came her to grant your wish, but in return ask you to abandon your dream of touching the Leaf Village. You would've been able to use your arms again, I would be reunited with my brother and Dan, and the Leaf would be safe from your hands. A win-win I'd say."

"If that all it takes for me to get my arms back, then I guess abandoning my dream of destroying the Leaf Village wouldn't be a total devastating lost to me." Orochimaru said with a smirk still on his face. "Alright Tsunade. You have my word. I won't touch the Leaf."

Tsunade smirked at his words, confusing both Orochimaru and Kabuto. "Save your breath. It's useless."

"Are you saying that you have declined Lord Orochimaru's offer?" Kabuto asked.

"Like I said, I had originally came here to accept it. And, in accepting it, I would have thrown everything that Dan, Nawaki, Naruto, and the First Hokage worked hard to protect away for a selfish wish. I was going to throw all of it away just for a glimpse of their faces. But, I realized that it would've been in vain. I may not have had much communication with you, especially over these past few decades. But, one thing I've learned during my gambling days is to **NEVER **deal with a snake. I knew that you would lie. You would lie to get what you'd want and leave me high and dry. Well, it's not going to work. Naruto reminded me of something that I forgot a long time ago. He reminded me of how much Dan and Nawaki loved the village and the dream they all shared of becoming Hokage is alive in that boy. Their memories are alive within me and Naruto. He also made me remember who I am, and in doing so reminded me who I was. So I decline your offer, Orochimaru. But, don't worry. I don't plan on letting neither of you leave empty handed. In fact, I plan on killing you both, right here right now." Tsunade with her fists held tight.

Shocked by her answer, Orochimaru shook his head in disappointment. "Tsunade. Tsunade. Tsunade. It's quite sad. To think that you could've been happy with having your brother and beloved back in your life. But, you didn't want to believe me and now you want to kill me? What a shame. But, I guess it can't be helped. Fine then. If you think you can kill us… come then."

"Prepare to die!" Tsunade yelled before running towards them with her fists riled back.

When she was close enough, she thrusted her fist towards them and barely missed them when they jumped out of the way. They landed on the roof of a nearby wall and marveled at the crater she created where they were just standing.

"She has a lot of raw strength." Kabuto said.

"It seems you haven't lost any of it over these past few decades. This should be interesting." Orochimaru smirked.

"I'll show you how interesting it'll be when I kill both of you!" She yelled as she punched the wall they were standing on.

"Lord Orochimaru. I suggest we take this to another location." Kabuto said after they landed on a tree branch.

"Indeed. Let's go. And try not to get hit by one of her attacks. That would prove to be tragic." Orochimaru agreed before they jumped off in time to avoid another of her attacks.

She watched as they sped off in another direction. With a sigh, she removed her green haori and let the wind take it away. "I'm too old to be chasing people." She sighed. "But that won't stop me finishing them off!"

Gathering charka in her feet, Tsunade sped off after her opponents, not caring where they led her.

…

…

…

"This is the place." Shizune announced as they landed. "But it looks like we're too late."

"Did she really do all of this?" Naruto asked in amazement. "She really is strong."

"Yeah and the fact that she also has a bad temper doesn't help much." Jiraiya commented.

"This is a good thing. With all of this destruction, Lady Tsunade must've refused Orochimaru's offer. This makes me happy." Shizune smiled.

Naruto looked around until he spotted her haori on the ground. "She was definitely here alright."

"Her haori. She must've left it before chasing after them. But where could they have gone?" Shizune asked while picking up Tsunade's haori. "Oh, if only I didn't send Tonton away.

"We don't need Tonton. Tsunade leaves a mess of destruction wherever she goes. See." Jiraiya said as he pointed to more craters Tsunade created. "If we follow them, then we'll find the trio."

Without another word, Jiraiya, Shizune, and Naruto sped after the fleeting trio.

…

…

…

"You can't run from me forever!" Tsunade yelled as she created another crater, which they barely managed to dodge again.

"Doesn't ever run out of strength?" Kabuto panted.

"Don't tell me you're getting tired already?" Orochimaru teased.

"Of course not. It's just that I never met another shinobi, much less a woman, with enough stamina, ability, and strength to keep this up for this long." Kabuto explained.

"Are you two going to stand around and talk or are you going to fight me?" Tsunade yelled out.

"Don't worry, Lord Orochimaru. I don't plan on dragging this out any further." Kabuto said before popping a food pill and performing some hand signs.

"So, you're a Medical-nin too? This should be fun." Tsunade smirked.

"Yes, and I will use my Chakra Scalpel to end you."

Both shinobi ran towards each other, Kabuto went in for her chest, but Tsunade avoided it by flipping her body into the air. When she did that, Kabuto reached up and touched her right arm and left leg. Thinking nothing of it, Tsunade used her right arm to knock Kabuto back. When she hit the ground, her arm and leg felt numb.

"What did you do to me?" She panted while kneeling and holding her arm.

"I decreased the muscles in your right arm and right thigh. That way your strength will decrease. So, even if you hit me, it won't hurt as much." Kabuto explained.

"Tsk. That's fine. I'm still going to kill you!"

Tsunade ran towards Kabuto again. Using her left hand more, Tsunade tried to punch him again. If she could just hit him one more time with her left hand, then he'll be dead. But, when she found an opening, Kabuto distracted her and his her directly in the chest. Finding it hard to breath, Tsunade fell to the floor panting hard.

"I can't breathe." Tsunade panted.

"Yeah. That can happen when I hit that spot. Don't worry. It won't last much longer. I'll be killing you soon, after I've had some more fun." Kabuto smirked.

"Don't underestimate me." Tsunade growled before getting up and disappearing.

"What?" Kabuto gasped as he looked around. That's when he felt her hit the back of his neck and sent in flying into the ground a few feet away from her. When he tried to get up, he noticed that his left leg would tense up every time he moved his right arm. "There's no way she should even be conscious let alone do that. Looks like I can't go easy on her."

"You got that right." Tsunade smirked before punching him in the face.

Kabuto flew a good couple of meters while Tsunade fell to the ground, trying to catch her breath. "Nothing is responding! How is this possible?!" He screamed as he tried to get up.

"Simple. I turned my chakra into electricity and used it to disrupt your entire nervous system." You won't be moving for a while." Tsunade panted as she held her right arm.

Angered by this, Kabuto forced himself to calm down and try to figure out a strategy. While he was doing that, Tsunade used some of her chakra to heal her chest, trying to regulate her breathing again.

"_It's not much, but it'll have to do for now."_

"So, you thought you'd beaten me." Kabuto said, shocking Tsunade "Well you're wrong!" Kabuto yelled as he got up and ran towards her. "I heard you don't like the sight of blood, huh?! Let's test that out!"

"_Impossible! He shouldn't have recovered that fast!"_

Kabuto was right in her face when a puff of purple smoke appeared, causing Kabuto to jump back. When the smoke cleared, Jiraiya, Naruto, and Shizune were standing in front of her.

"Lady Tsunade, are you hurt?" Shizune asked as she helped Tsunade stand.

"I'm alright, but where are you guys doing here. I told you to butt out."

"Yeah, I know that's what you said, but I thought you might need some help. And it looks like I was right." Jiraiya smirked.

"Ah. Master Jiraiya. It's been too long, old friend." Orochimaru greeted sinisterly.

"The same could be said for you, Orochimaru. I see you're still just as ugly as I remembered."

"Such harsh words. Is that anyway to treat a former teammate?" Orochimaru teased.

Naruto looked over at Kabuto and gasped. "Kabuto? What are you doing here?" That's when he looked up at his headband and was surprised, to say the least. "You're working for Orochimaru, aren't you? And you're the one who injured Grandma Tsunade, aren't you?"

"Hn. Looks like the slowest horse finally makes it to the race. No wonder you're no match for Sasuke." Kabuto chuckled.

"_**What did you say?" **_Naruto growled.

"You heard me. I don't think I need to repeat myself."

"_**You won't be saying anything if you mention Sasuke again."**_

"Oh no you don't, he's mine!" Tsunade yelled a she pushed Jiraiya and Naruto out of the way. She ran towards Kabuto and began attacking him. "You may have recovered, but you're not 100%. I'll take you down!"

She was about to punch him again when Kabuto pulled out his kunai and sliced along Tsunade's forearm. At the sight of her own blood, Tsunade's movements stopped completely as she stared at her blood covered hands, allowing Kabuto to make his move. He launched forward and punched Tsunade in her gut, making her spit up more blood and knocking her backwards. Shizune managed to catch and cover her with her haori.

"You're going to be ok, Lady Tsunade." She cooed.

"You're right, I may not be at 100%, but it was enough to take at least one of two Sannin down." Kabuto said while pushing up his glasses.

"But, why Kabuto? Why did you betray us? You save our lives and now you're working for Orochimaru?" Naruto questioned.

"You fool." Kabuto laughed. "I was always working or Lord Orochimaru. It's true I saved your lives, but it was only because I needed to collect some information on your team. And, to be honest, it was a complete waste of time. Sure I got a lot of information on Sasuke, but you Naruto. You were probably the biggest waste. No wonder you could never stack up against Sasuke. He is far more superior to you in every way. I almost feel bad that he's on the same team as a weakling like you. How does it feel knowing that you're nothing but a loser and that you're even more useless then that pink haired girl? How sad."

This made Naruto clench his fists in anger. He could feel Kyuubi's chakra coursing through his veins, ready to be released.

"_**So you think I'm insignificant? You think I can't stop Sasuke? You think I'm a waste of space? Well, this "waste of space" will be the one to end your life."**_ Naruto growled. _**"Jiraiya. You handle the old snake over there. Shizune, you take care of Grandma Tsunade. I'll take care of this four eyed traitor."**_

"You sure you've got this?" Jiraiya asked.

"_**Don't worry about me. I'll have him beat in no time."**_

"Alright then. Orochimaru, looks like it's just you and me."

"What a pleasure. I'll be sure to enjoy this. Kabuto. It's time for a summoning."

Kabuto moved to Orochimaru's side and removed the bandage on his left arm before adding blood onto it and forming the hand signs to summon. Jiraiya did the same until a cloud of smoke appeared and so did a purple snake, Manda, and Gamabunta.

"Shall we take this battle somewhere over there, so that our apprentices can have at it?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yes, let's." Orochimaru agreed before the two of them disappeared.

"Looks like it's just us two. This will be fun."

"_**You won't be laughing when I'm done with you."**_

Naruto yelled as he sped towards Kabuto with a kunai in his hand. Kabuto grabbed one of his own and used it to block Naruto's attack. Using his left hand, Kabuto tried to hit Naruto in his blind spot. Seeing the attack coming, Naruto used his weight to get the upper hand. He used his foot to kick Kabuto in the chest and used it to propel off of him. After flipping back onto the ground, Naruto created three shadow clones. All four Naruto sped over to Kabuto and attacked him. Being quick on his feet, Kabuto was able to dispel the three Narutos, but he couldn't stop the original Naruto's attack. The original Naruto tried to aim for Kabuto's chest with his Rasengan, but Kabuto slipped under Naruto and used his Chakra Scalpel to touch both of Naruto's legs and kicking the boy across the field.

"I told you that you were no match for me." Kabuto chuckled.

"Then try me on for size." Shizune said as she appeared in front of the silver wolf.

She managed to nick Kabuto's arm before punching him in his chest and kicking him away from her. When the distance was created, Shizune began to spit out poisoned needles. The silver haired medical-nin rolled out of the way in time to dodge them, not noticing that his raven haired pig opponent was above him.

"Poison Mist!" She yelled as she blew out the poisoned mist onto him. "That ought to work." She was standing in front of the mist, waiting to see if Kabuto had breathed any of the poison in. "What?!" She gasped when she saw him emerge from the smoke unharmed.

Trying to take him down, Shizune shot more needles at him. Kabuto used his headband and his kunai to dodge them before making a slice down Shizune's chest. The girl screamed in pain from the cut and when Kabuto used his Chakra Scalpel to damage her right wrist and ankles. When she was weakened, he threw her over by Tsunade's trembling form. With shaky eyes, Tsunade saw that the way she hit the ground on top of the way he threw her and her injuries caused Shizune to become unconscious.

"Shizune!" Naruto yelled as he tried to get up.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kabuto warned. "I damaged your legs so that it'll make it hard for you to move. So why don't you stay down while I finish off Lady Tsunade over here."

"Don't you touch her." Naruto growled again.

"Who's going to stop me? Not her?" He chuckled as he picked Tsunade up by her shirt. "Up until now, I had the upmost admiration for you, as a fellow medical-nin. But, now I see that you're nothing but a joke. The other Sannin, your brother, and lover must be rolling over in their graves and weeping with disappointment. How sad."

"No. Granny Tsunade." Naruto panted as he tried to stand.

Sounds of Tsunade's screams and Kabuto's laughter made everything inside of Naruto ache. He needed to protect her. He wasn't going to let Kabuto kill her. He needed to be strong. If he wanted to become Hokage. If he wanted to protect Sasuke. He needed to find a way to save Tsunade first.

"_Kyuubi."_

"_**Kit. Are you ok?"**_

"_My legs. I need enough strength to get to Grandma Tsunade. Help me."_

"_**Don't worry Naruto. I got your back. Let's protect her together."**_

A moment later, Naruto could feel Kyuubi's chakra coursing through his body and healing it. He hated that he had to watch Kabuto toss her around like a rag doll. But, when his legs were healed enough, he made his move.

"It's time for me to end this." Kabuto smirked as he riled his fist back and thrusted it forward.

To his surprise, his fist made contact with Naruto's headband instead of Tsunade's body. "Don't you lay a hand on her again."

"Impossible. How did you get all the way over here so quickly?" Kabuto questioned in amazement.

"You have other things to worry about. Like me kicking your ass!" Naruto yelled as he took Kabuto's fist and gripping it. He then brought his elbow down and used it to brake Kabuto's before throwing him away from them. "Are you alright, Grandma Tsunade?"

"Naruto. What are you doing? You're hurt. You should've stayed down."

"And let you keep getting hurt? No way. I'm going to die! You need to get out of here. Don't worry about me, just run!" She yelled out with wide eyes.

"No way. If I'm going to become Hokage, then I have to protect everyone I care about and needs protecting, including you. I don't turn and run. I don't hide. I will stand and fight because I don't have to worry about dying. I have a dream to reach. And I won't die until I have become Hokage!" Naruto shouted out while standing in his stance.

His words filled up Tsunade's heart and melted the last of the coldness away. He boy standing in front of her wasn't a copy of Nawaki or Dan, but an original shinobi with a big dream.

"You keep sprouting this nonsense of you becoming Hokage, but I can tell you this… You won't make it out of this battle alive!"

Naruto stood there calmly as he summoned a clone of himself while Kabuto ran towards him with a kunai. When Kabuto was close enough, Naruto used his left hand to grip the kunai and hold Kabuto still. Sorry, but I have no intention on dying until I become the next Hokage!" Naruto shouted while his clone shaped a Rasengan within his right hand before unleashing it onto Kabuto's midsection. "Rasengan!"

Before the attack hit Kabuto, the sneaky silver wolf managed to hit Naruto's chest. But, that didn't stop Naruto's attack from sending Kabuto flying a few meters backwards. When the dust cleared, Naruto was the last one standing while Kabuto laid face down in the dirt. Behind Naruto sat an amazed and shocked Tsunade.

"_He did it! This kid actually managed to master the Fourth Hokage's jutsu in __**THREE**__ days! But how?! How is this even possible?! Just who is this kid?"_

Her train of thought ended when she heard the blond fox chuckling and coughing. "Damn. He got me, but not before I got him." And with that, Naruto collapsed backwards onto the ground.

"Naruto?!" Tsunade yelled as she ran to the boy's side. She place her ear to Naruto's chest and gasped. "I need to stabilize him. His heart is failing him." Without a moment to lose, she began using her chakra to stabilize his heart. "Hang in there, Naruto. I've got you."

He he he. Ya see that Orochimaru? Looks like my apprentice whipped the floor with yours. How sad. He doesn't seem like a waste of space after all, huh?" Jiraiya taunted.

"That boy just did the impossible. Mastering a jutsu like that. How could he manage such a feat?" The snake questioned.

"It's because that boy is going to become the next Hokage." Jiraiya smirked.

"Oh is he now? Well, I'll just have to make sure to put an end to his little dream, right now!" Orochimaru shouted before jumping off of his snakes' head.

"He's stable, that's good." Tsunade sighed in relief. "Naruto, you are one heck of a genin and have managed to prove me wrong today." She smiled as she took off her necklace and placed it around his neck. "So let's hope you can make those words true." At that moment, she looked up and saw that Orochimaru slammed Jiraiya into the ground before heading her way. "He's coming for Naruto. I won't let that happen." Without a second thought, Tsunade jumped in front of Naruto and took Orochimaru's sword right through her chest.

Having realized what he did, Orochimaru withdrew his sword and stepped back. "You are one of the only people I don't want to kill. Move, Tsunade. If you don't let me kill off this boy, then he'll only bring more trouble than needed."

"Let's me tell you something, you vile snake. I will **NEVER **let you hurt this boy again. I will protect him with my life. He is destined to become Hokage and I'll be sure that he does." Tsunade announced.

"Fine then. I'll just have to kill you first!"

With his sword sticking out of his mouth, Orochimaru sliced Tsunade in her stomach and threw her in another direction. Once she was out of the way, he advanced on Naruto. Shizune, having finally come to, and Jiraiya realized the situation and tried to rush to Naruto's aid, but Tsunade beat them to it. When Orochimaru brought down sword again, he stabled Tsunade in her shoulder. In frustration, he withdrew his sword and kicked her onto Naruto's left side.

"Why? Why do risk your life for some lowly genin that you don't know?" Orochimaru asked.

"Because. By saving him, I'll be saving the Hidden Leaf Village. He's destined to become their leader. It's fate. And I'm going to help him see it through by also helping him protect the village!" Tsunade answered.

"Hn. How do you expect to protect anything when you're pretty much half dead?! Why risk your life for someone who you don't know or care for?! And what of that village? Why save a village you abandoned decades ago?! It doesn't make sense." Orochimaru growled. But, when Tsunade wouldn't answer him, he let out a frustrated sigh. "It doesn't matter. I'll kill both you and the boy. That way the Leaf Village won't have anything left to protect it!"

Just then, Orochimaru brought down his sword again. But it was Tsunade that grabbed the blade. "You know what? There's something I just remembered." With a smirk, Tsunade the blade in half before kicking him away from her. "I remembered that I was fated to become the 5th Hokage… And that's exactly what I'm going to be. From now on, you can call me Tsunade, the 5th Hokage!" She announced as she threw the broken blade away and unleased her Strength of Hundred Seal.

"What are those markings on your forehead?!" Orochimaru panicked.

"This is my Strength of Hundred Seal, but I'm not done." She slapped her hands together and focused her chakra on the seal on her face.

"**NO! LADY TSUNADE! PLEASE STOP!"** Shizune shouted, but it fell on death ears.

"Release!" Tsunade yelled out as the markings left her face and steam generated off her body.

"Impressive. I see I wasn't the only person to play around and invent new jutsus. Tell me. What was that?" Orochimaru asked curiously.

"It's my Creation Rebirth technique. It allows for me to use my charka to create more cells that generate rapidly. You can slash me all you want, but I can't die!" Tsunade announced proudly.

"_What she didn't say was that it can also shorten the user's life and can only be used a limited amount of times. Oh Lady Tsunade. I hope you know what you're doing."_ Shizune worried.

After her technique was complete, she began to make hand signs to join her former teammates in a battle of summonings with her and Naruto on top of her summoned slug, Katsuyu's, head.

"Alright then. Let's finish this." Tsunade said.

"Indeed." Orochimaru and Jiraiya both agreed.

"Katsuyu. Take Naruto to Shizune and make sure she tends to his wounds somewhere safe." Tsunade ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Katsuyu nodded before making a miniature clone of herself and carried Naruto off her back. Once he and Shizune were gone, the battle could being.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the gangs' all here. Jiraiya, did you bring a handkerchief? I think I'm going to cry."

"Gamabunta, you old fool. I didn't summon you here to tell jokes. It's time we ended this rivalry, dontchya think? Jiraiya smirked.

"For once I agree with the old toad sage. You know that I usually hate being summoned, but since this looks like a fun battle, I'll only expect 100 scarifies after this, Orochimaru." Manda hissed. "I think I'll start with the toads and work my way to the slug."

"I'd like to see you try. I've always wanted a snake skinned wallet." Gamabunta chuckled as he unsheathed his sword.

"Orochimaru. I'm going to put an end to you today. You're unfit to be one of us and must die." Jiraiya announced.

"When we're done with you, there'll be one less Sannin in the world." Tsunade said with her arms crossed.

"My, oh my. Such big talk for four little people. I'd like to see you try."

"Allow me to start us off. Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid!" The giant, white and blue female slug yelled before spitting some acid at Manda.

The purple snake managed to dodge it and managed to wrap itself around her. Gamabunta came to the girls' rescue, but Manda grabbed his sword with his fangs.

"Katsuyu! Disperse and regroup!" Tsunade ordered before jumping off.

The slug did exactly what she was told. Using this opportunity, Manda used the sword to slice at Gamabunta, but the toad flipped out of the way. Trying to hit Gamabunta again, Manda threw the sword at him, but the toad got out of the way and the sword landed in front of Katsuyu, aiding Tsunade in helping her reach Katsuyu's head.

"You girls stay back. Gamabunta, I think it's time to light this reptile." Jiraiya said.

"Right." Gamabunta agreed.

Both toad males gathered their chakra and energy before creating the Toad Oil Flame Bullet. They shot it straight at Manda and Orochimaru, lighting them on fire. When the flames died down, they saw that they didn't get them.

"Damn. Manda shed his skin." Gamabunta cussed.

"Where's they go?" Jiraiya questioned until he felt the ground shake. "Below!"

"I feel em!" Gamabunta was ready, something shot up and he grabbed ahold of it. "His tail?" Behind them, Manda's head appeared ready to bite.

"Oh no you don't!" Tsunade yelled as she impaled Gamabunta's sword into Manda's head.

"Thanks Tsunade!" Jiraiya shouted.

"Don't mention it!"

"Damn. I knew that handling one Sannin was going to be tough, but two?" Orochimaru cursed.

"What's the matter? Can't handle your old teammates?" Tsunade teased. "I thought you had more in ya."

"We're not done yet." Orochimaru growled. Almost as fast a lightning, his tongue shot out and grabbed Tsunade by her neck.

"Oh no. I'm not going to let you win!" She said as she tried to get free. Once she was free, she used Orochimaru's tongue to up him up to her and punch him back down. Then she swung him around before throwing him into the air. "Come on. I'm just getting started!" She began punching the life out of him before kicking him back down. Once she hit the sword's hilt, she grabbed his tongue and brought him back up. But, when he was close enough, she went to punch him but her strength ran out.

"Oh no. It can't be." She panted. "Just a little bit longer…"

"Ran out of strength have we? Looks like you hit your limit." Orochimaru chuckled.

"Shut up! I'm not through yet!" She yelled as she yanked him up and punched him back down.

Before he even hit the ground, Tsunade was already on him. She pounded and kicked him into the ground multiple times, even when she felt like she wasn't getting anywhere. But, that didn't stop her. She knew that she couldn't let up. She had to keep fighting until the end. She had to keep going for Dan, Jiraiya, Nawaki, Naruto, Shizune, her grandfather, and the Hidden Leaf Village.

After punching Orochimaru a few meters away from her, Tsunade stood up straight and added some of her chakra to her hand. "This will finish it." She said lowly. Orochimaru could barely stand after that beating he took from his former teammate, so when she got to him, he knew it was over. "You're done, Orochimaru." She riled her fist back one last time before punching him with everything she had left.

Everyone watched as she sent him flying all the way to Gamabunta's sword, still impaled in Manda's head, before falling onto the snake's head.

"Lord Orochimaru!" Tsunade and Jiraiya heard Kabuto yell as she stumbled his way over to his motionless master.

Despite being awake and moving after taking a direct hit from Naruto's Rasengan, they were not worried about the pest right now. The only thing that mattered was making sure Orochimaru was dead.

"Damn you, Orochimaru. If I could, I'd eat both of you right now. But, thanks to this whole in my mouth, I won't be eating anything solid for weeks. For your sake, you better not summon me ever again." And just like that Manda disappeared along with Katsuyu and Gamabunta.

When he was off of Gamabunta's head, Jiraiya rushed over and caught Tsunade just as she was about to collapse.

"I've got ya." Jiraiya said she he held her tight in his arms. "That's my girl."

"Thank you, Jiraiya. And thank you Naruto. None of this would've been possible without you two." Tsunade smiled but gasped with Jiraiya when they saw Orochimaru and Kabuto standing.

"This battle is over. I lost, but don't worry. We'll be back. As soon as I get everything situated and we're all healed up, we'll be back. Don't get too comfortable. We'll be seeing you soon. Ta-ta." Orochimaru chuckled as he sank into the ground and Kabuto used a teleportation jutsu.

"And we'll be waiting." Tsunade grunted.

"Come on. Let's get back to the village. There, we can rest and heal up before traveling back to the Hidden Leaf." Jiraiya suggested.

Tsunade agreed and allowed Jiraiya to carry her back along with Shizune and Naruto.

…

…

…

**One Week Later**

It was around 10 at night when the trio walked into the Leaf Village. Jiraiya was carrying an unconscious Naruto on his back while Shizune carried Tonton in her arms.

"Are you sure we shouldn't have just stayed at the inn until Naruto woke up? I mean, he'll be out for quite a while, especially with that injury to his heart." Tsunade asked as they walked down a street in Konoha.

"Relax. The only thing the kid needs is to be home with his beloved Sasuke. Once he's in bed and smells Sasuke, Naruto will be back on his feet in no time." Jiraiya explained with a smile.

"That's sweet." Shizune smiled.

"I think it's kind of creepy, but whatever floats the kid's boat." Tsunade sighed.

"I'm just glad he's unconscious right now. He'd kill me if he heard the jokes I'm making about him and Sasuke." Jiraiya chuckled.

"How do you know the Uchiha will be up at this hour?" Tsunade questioned.

"Let's see if he answers the door." Jiraiya nodded on the door a few times and waited. Right when he was about to knock again, a tired Sasuke wearing one of Naruto's shirts and a pair of boxers opened the door.

"Master Jiraiya? What are you doing here at this hour?" He asked while rubbing his eyes.

"I have a package to deliver to you." The old toad laughed as he turned to show Naruto on his back.

"Is he alright?" Sasuke asked nervously.

"He's fine. He had some muscle tearing around his heart and some of his limbs, but I healed them so he should be good as new with plenty of rest." Tsunade answered.

"Who are those two?" Sasuke asked.

"They're good guys. I'll explain everything tomorrow when we come by for your check up." Jiraiya said.

Too tired to ask any more questions or make sense of everything that's happening, Sasuke moved to the side to let them all into his house before leading them to their room. Jiraiya placed Naruto onto the bed, took off all his clothes except his boxers and tucked him in. Tsunade looked at the necklace around Naruto's neck and smiled before leaning down and kissing his forehead.

"Thank you for keeping their dream alive." She whispered. Once she stood up, she gave a bottle of pills to Sasuke. "These are the medication he has to take. With these, he should be completely healed within the next few days. Make sure he takes one every morning and every night before bed. I'm entrusting him to you. Think you can handle it?" Sasuke nodded as he held the pill bottle in his hands. "Good." She smiled before leaning down and giving Sasuke a kiss on his forehead too. "You've got a good one here. Promise me you'll take care of him."

"I promise." Sasuke nodded.

"Alright ladies, let's let the two love birds sleep and go check into an inn. My treat." Jiraiya announced.

"That sounds nice. I'm tired of all this traveling. It'll be nice to finally have a place called home again." Shizune smiled in excitement.

"You were right, Jiraiya. Naruto did nab a good one. That Uchiha kid is quite the looker and pure genius. He sure does hold up his clan's name well." Tsunade smiled.

"Yeah I know. Aren't they just cute together?" Jiraiya smiled back.

Sasuke could barely hide his blush at all the things the trio were saying about Naruto and him as they walked down the street and out of his sights. When they were officially gone, Sasuke relocked the front door before heading upstairs to sleep next to Naruto. The moment he slipped into bed and their tails touched, Naruto grabbed hold of Sasuke and pulled him into his chest. Sasuke found a comfortable position to sleep in before kissing his beloved fox goodnight.

"_Glad you made it home safely, Dobe."_

…

…

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Sasuke begins his departure.

…


	28. Saying Goodbye Pt 1: Sasuke's Departure

**Warnings for This Chapter:** Sasuke leaving. Yaoi. Sexual action.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for not being able to update like I promised. From now on, I will not promise anything. The only thing I can promise is that I will complete these stories. I would also like to thank everyone who has been patient with me, I greatly appreciate it. Also, because I cannot get to my flash drive, I will not be able to put up what happened in the last chapter. If you would like to know what happened, you can reread it.

Also, I know that the spelling, grammar and sentence structure isn't the greatest. In fact, I cringe every time I read one of my previous chapters. To edit my stories, is on my bucket list, I swear. But, for now, please just bear with me. Sometimes, I will do it like that on purpose, like when a certain character speaks, but all the other times, it's me messing up and not realizing it until I've already posted it. I **DO NOT **have a beta, nor do I want one. I've had bad experiences in the past with them and if I started using one, then these chapters will never get posted. I do, however really appreciate you guys telling me about my mistakes. They are helping me grow and become more aware of them. Thanks guys and keep it up.

**Chapter 25: Saying Goodbye Pt. 1: Sasuke's Departure**

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

"Come on, Naruto. It's time to take your medication." I said as I held the two pills and a cup of water in my hands.

"No. It's frickin disgusting." He pouted.

"I know it is, but this is the last set. Tsunade said you need to take them before we go to your last check up today."

"Alright fine. But I want ramen after this."

"I promise to buy you a bowl of ramen **AFTER **you take your medication." I agreed.

He practically jumped up at the offer and quickly take his meds. Once he was finished, we put our shoes and headed to the Hokage Tower. The day was nice and sunny. We took our time getting there. It was nice to finally have one of these days again.

When we arrived at the tower, one of the Hokage ANBU directed us to the Hokage's office. Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, and Shizune smiled when we walked into the room. This had been the first time in a while since I've been in the Hokage's office. Even though I know he's gone and Tsunade was made the next Hokage, it felt strange walking into the room and not seeing the Third Hokage there. I almost had to stop myself from making that mistake as well.

"Good morning Sasuke, Naruto." Jiraiya greeted.

"Morning Master Jiraiya, Shizune, and Lady Tsunade." I nodded.

"Hey Grandma Tsunade. How's your new job going?" Naruto smiled while moving his hands behind his head.

"I see that being struck in the heart hasn't effected you in the slightest." Tsunade teased.

"Of course not! If I'm expecting to become the next Hokage, I can only let death stop me from moving." Naruto smiled wider.

"That's great to hear. As for the job, it's going ok for now. I know that this job is going to get harder and more challenging, especially since I came after an attack on the village, but I'll be able to hold my own. And I owe it all to you, Naruto. I wanted to thank you again for bringing me back home and giving me a purpose. And, to repay you, I promise to run this village as efficiently as possible until you take office."

"Well, don't get too comfortable. You'll be handing that title over to me in no time."

"Yeah? Well, you better hurry up then. If you don't, I might just have to hand the job over to someone else." She teased before walking towards the front of the desk. "Now, lie down on the desk so I can give you your checkup."

Naruto did as she commanded. He lied down on the desk and made his chest bare for her to check. Green chakra surrounded her hands while she ran her fingers along his chest. It took a few moments of her doing that before she dismissed her chakra and backed away.

"The medicine worked just like I'd hoped. Your heart and the muscles within your body were nearly healed. I just used some of my chakra to speed it up and completely heal you. Now, you are free to do whatever you please. I only advise you to take the rest of the day off and rest one last time before I start assigning you anymore missions. Within the next couple of days, Team 7 will be getting their first mission." Tsunade said with a smile and her hands on her hips.

"That's great!" Naruto cheered.

"Sasuke. Please make sure that Naruto stays in bed for the rest of today. If he does that, then he won't tear what I just repaired. If the idiot does, then bring him back here immediately. Got it?"

"Don't worry. The idiot isn't going anywhere until tomorrow." I smirked.

"Geez, you guys make me feel like a kid that needs to be babysat. Come on Sasuke. You promised me ramen if I took my medicine." He grumbled as he fixed his clothes and jumped off the table.

"Glad to see you're doing better kid." Jiraiya smiled as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder before walking towards the door.

"And where do you think you're going, you old fool?" Tsunade asked with her arms crossed over her massive chest.

"It looks like you have things covered here. So, I'm off to do some research before beginning my travels again." The pervert smiled.

"The hell you are." Tsunade glared as she walked over to him and grabbed his ear. "You're staying right here and helping me with some of this paperwork."

"But my research~ Ouch. Can you lighten up a little Tsunade? Ouch. You're really hurting me." He whined until she dragged him over to the chair closest to her desk and sat him down.

"Is she really as strong as you've said?" I whispered to Naruto.

"Yeah. She flicked me in my head one time and almost cracked my skull wide open." Naruto cringed at the memory. "Let's go before she turns some of that strength on us."

I nodded in agreement before saying our goodbyes and following him towards Ramen Ichiraku.

…

…

…

"Two orders of ramen, please." I ordered as we sat at the bar.

"Naruto? Is that you? It's been a while. How've you been? I heard about that nasty injury you earned during your fight with Orochimaru, Master Jiraiya, and Lady Tsunade." Teuchi, a badger and the restaurant's owner, asked.

"I'm fine now. Grandma Tsunade gave me some medicine and finished healing me. Now, I'm back to being in perfect health." Naruto smiled.

"That's great to hear. Here, why don't I give you a bowl on the house. Let's call it a Hero's Discount." He winked.

"Alright! You're the best, old man." Naruto cheered.

"Ayame! Let's have two bowls of the Naruto Special!" He called to his daughter.

"Naruto's back?!" The girl yelled as she came to the front of the counter. When she saw him, she practically jumped over the counter to hug him. "It's good to see you again!"

"Alright Ayame, that's enough. You're choking the poor boy." Teuchi said as he pulled them apart.

"Sorry Naruto. I'm just glad you're ok." She blushed.

"Thanks. It's good to be back, especially here. I've really missed you guy's food." Naruto smiled back while scratching the back of his head.

"I'm going to cook your food now and you can tell us all about your adventure while you eat." She said before Teuchi and she went to work on the food.

A couple of minutes passed before hearing two familiar voices.

"Naruto? Sasuke? Is that you?"

We turned around to see Sakura, the speaker, and Kakashi standing at the entrance.

"Hi Sakura! Hi Kakashi-sensei! What brings you guys here?" Naruto asked.

"Well, we were on our way to Sasuke's house to check on you, but we ended up seeing you two here. How do you feel?" Kakashi questioned as they took two the seats next to us.

"I'm fine. Grandma Tsunade fixed my torn muscles and, after resting for the rest of the day, I'll be back on my feet by tomorrow." He informed them.

"That's great to hear. I just wanted to let you know that we're proud of you. Not only did you stand your own against Kabuto, but you managed to participate in the fight between the three Sanin. Not many people, genin especially can say that. Great work Naruto." Kakashi smiled.

"Yeah. It's great to see how strong you are becoming. I had no idea that you were so strong and brave. To take a hit like that, master a new jutsu, and be back on your feet within a couple of days is amazing." Sakura said with pride in her voice.

"Yeah Naruto. We're all very proud of you." I smiled while scratching behind his ears.

He was enjoying the feeling until I stopped a few moments later. That's when he looked down in Sakura's hand and noticed a bouquet of flowers.

"Hey Sakura. Are those for me?" He asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I forgot. I had bought these at Ino's shop and was going to deliver them to you with Kakashi-sensei. Here you go. I hope you like them." She said while giving them to him.

"I love them. Thank you." He smiled as he accepted them and sniffed them. "They smell nice."

"I hope not as nice as the Naruto Special. Eat up kids." Teuchi smiled as he handed us our food.

"Come on Naruto. Tell us about your travels and the battle." Ayame begged as she leaned over the counter.

…

…

…

I don't know how long we stayed there, but it was a while. We listened to Naruto tell us about his travels with Jiraiya, the bet with Tsunade, mastering the Rasengan, and the battle between Kabuto, Lady Tsunade, Shizune, Master Jiraiya, Orochimaru and himself. Everything sounded intense and I wish I could've been there. It wasn't until he mentioned the deal Orochimaru struck with Lady Tsunade that I started thinking about the offer I made with him. I'm supposed to be giving him my answer pretty soon. It took me a while, but during the time that Naruto was gone, I finally managed to come to the right decision. I can't go back now.

When Naruto was finished, Sakura and Kakashi left the restaurant and we waited for a to-go order. I ordered another Naruto Special for his dinner tonight. It's going to come in handy too.

…

…

…

When we got home, I tucked Naruto into bed and began doing some chores around the house. I went grocery shopping and took care of some little odds and ins around the house while Naruto watched tv in the room. When it got close to diner time, I warmed up his ramen and put some sleeping herbs into it. I needed to make sure that he was sleeping in order for me to sneak out and see Orochimaru tonight. Once his dinner was made, I fed him his meal and waited. He finished eating and within 10 minutes, he was out like a light. I took his bowl to the sink to clean it. After finishing that, I made sure he was sound asleep before sneaking off into the dead of night.

…

…

…

I arrived at our meeting spot to see that he was already waiting on me.

"_**Hello Sasuke. How is that little fox of your doing?"**_ He hissed.

"Fine. Although, I'm not too happy to find out that your assistant almost killed him." I glared with my arms crossed.

"_**I'm very sorry about that. I promise that not harm will come to the child while you are under my care. Now, tell me Sasuke Uchiha. What is your finally word?"**_

"I've decided to go with you. I want to become stronger and I believe that you're the only one that can help me now." I stated clearly, trying to hide the nervousness in my voice.

Chills ran along my spine when his smirk grew wide and menacingly. _**"Excellent. I knew you would make the right decision. Your intelligence is one of the reasons I choose you to receive the curse mark and to become my successor. Be here at exactly 4 am. I'll have a team of 4 waiting on you to bring you to me. I'll be looking forward to seeing you… Sasuke-kun."**_

And just like that he was gone. I rubbed my hands along my arms to regain some warmth back. _"The guy may be a creep and look like a pedophile, but he's the only one who can help me. Without his help, Naruto and I won't be able to live normal lives and I'll never be able to defeat Itachi. I'm doing this for the good of our relationship. I can only hope that Naruto can forgive me."_

…

…

…

The next day, I woke up to Naruto yawning and trying to stretch.

"Good morning." He said after leaning down to kiss me.

"Morning. How do you feel?" I yawned.

"Better than ever!" He cheered.

I nodded before raising up and looking outside. "It looks like another beautiful day. And, since this is your first day out of recovery, want to have another date day?" I asked.

"What? Sasuke Uchiha actually wants to go outside? The world much becoming to an end." He teased.

"No. It's just that this is the first time in a while that we've gotten to do this. Why don't we do it now? Who knows when the next time we'll get to do something like this." I insisted.

"Sure, we can go ahead and do _**IT **_now. _**Ya know baby, if you wanted my dick inside of your tight ass, you could've just said so. Although I love the time we spend together, sometimes I like rushing to the climax of the day.**_" He smirked while whispering in my ear.

I moved my face into the pillow while pushing his away. "You know how perverted you sounded just now?"

"It's not perverted. It's my way of saying how much I appreciate our love making and your ass."

I just shook my head and got up from the bed. "Get dressed you pervert."

…

…

…

The day we amazing. We ate breakfast in a nearby, new restaurant. The food was pretty delicious, but it's nowhere near as good as Ramen Ichiraku, or so Naruto says. Afterwards, we had little conversations over tea. There were a few times I had hit him on the head for making perverted comments. He's almost starting to sound like Jiraiya. I don't know if I want to be angry, considering whenever he says something perverted it makes me imagine him actually doing it. It turns me on in a way I don't want it to. After that, we sparred a little bit. This time was different from the others. Both Naruto and I have gotten stronger and are able to push each other way past our limits. We didn't do that today. No, today felt more of a playful fight than anything else. In fact, it ended with him tackling me to the ground and tickling me. This was the first time I got into an actual tickle fight since I was little and Itachi would do it with me. It made me miss that time in my life, but it also made my heart ache at that memory and knowing that this will be the last time, at least in a while, that Naruto and I do something like this. We finished the fight and sat around and watched the clouds. Usually, we'd feel tired after doing something like that, but we stayed up for hours just talking and enjoying each other's company. Soon, it became lunch time and we went to eat at Ichiraku's again. I ordered another bowl to put the sleeping herbs in later tonight. The last thing we wanted to do was watch the sunset, but we still had an hour before that happened. So, we took a walk around town until ten minutes till. When it hit ten minutes till, we made our way to the dock. We were on our way there until I saw something in a toy store window. It was a miniature fox plushy. I told Naruto to wait outside while I went in to buy it. When I showed it to him, he laughed and thought it was adorable. I think he also made a joke that caused the Kyuubi to stir, but he let it go.

We finally made it to the dock and sat down in our usual position. His right arm was around my torso while I leaned into his side with my knees bent upward. Our tails wrapped around each other and his new fox plushy was in his lap. We watched the sunset in silence, just holding each other and enjoying having each other nearby. I almost jumped when I felt him lean down and kiss my crown.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you." I repeated while lacing our fingers together with a sigh.

I felt the ache in my chest again and sis everything I could to push it back down. But, in the end, nothing will change the fact that I'm leaving tomorrow morning. There was also an undeniable fact that I knew would cause me great heartbreak for the first couple of months to a year when I leave here.

"_I'm going to miss these moments._

…

…

…

We got home and Naruto was hungry again. I told him to wait upstairs while I warm up his food. While he was upstairs, I prepared his food and crushed the herbs into the ramen. The herbs I used this time had a longer time to kick in, but they would put him in a deeper sleep. Perfect for what I wanted to do tonight.

After his food was prepared, I brought it upstairs and watched him eat it with great satisfaction. Once he was finished, I placed the bowl on the nightstand before moving to sit on his lap. He looked at me in confusion until I leaned in to kiss him. It took him a minute, but he finally kissed me back. When I felt his arms wrap around my waist, I wrapped mine around his neck and used my weight to push him onto the bed. We made out for a little while before I let my hands under his shirt. He soon got the hint and removed both his and mine. We kissed deeply a little bit more before he flipped us over and began to move downward.

First, he used his tongue to trace the outline of the side of my neck. Then, he licked, sucked, and bit lightly on my collarbone, causing me to gasp in pleasure. I couldn't resist him. I couldn't everything about him, everything about today, and everything about right now made my body feel overloaded with a sensation only he could provide. I raised my hips so that he could remove my boxers and my shorts. I gave a long sigh when I felt his lips caress my hipbones, waistline, and my inner thigh. When I felt him teasing me a little and getting closer to my member, I raised my legs and spread them for him. I saw him lick his lips hungrily before placing his head between my legs and taking my member into his mouth. I gave a sharp gasp each time I felt his tongue either wrap around or lick it in a vertical motion. The way he moved his tongue and sucked on my member began to drive me insane. I started panting, my heartbeat raced faster than a mustang, and my breathing became rapid and ridged. I felt my body tremble and shake in ecstasy. I gripped his spikes to let him know that I was close to my climax. I encouraged him to suck and lick faster and harder to push me over the edge and into total climax. But, right when I was about to cum, he pulled away. I didn't know what he was doing and I was about to yell at him for leaving me in such a state, but stopped when I saw him strip himself of his boxers and pants and lube his own member up. The dangerous look in his eye silenced me. I almost felt as if I was in a trance and nothing could break me from his power.

We never broke eye contact, for fear of ruining the mood. I knew that he had pulled me to the edge of the bed. I knew that he was settling between my legs. I knew that he was guiding himself into me, but we never broke eye contact. Even when I felt him enter me, inch by inch. I squinted a little bit, trying to readjust to his size, but I never fully closed them. It wasn't until he leaned down to kiss me again that I finally closed my eyes and allowed to feel everything that was happening around me. When he was ready. Naruto pulled until only the tip was left in before thrusting back in. I moaned at the friction created. It felt wonderful and blissful to have him trusting inside of me like this. I raised my legs to wrap around his waist while he continued to thrust. I could feel his climax coming when his hips sped up and his wrapped his hand around the base of my member, preventing me from coming so fast. My moans and grunts got louder at bother the pain of not being able to come and the pleasure Naruto projecting into my body. We kissed. He sucked on my neck and collarbone. I practically screamed while raking my claws down his back. Sweat began to cover our bodies in a thin layer, but I didn't care. All I could think about was living within this moment forever. But, that dream was broken when he finally let go of the base of my member. I moaned hi name loudly as I spilled my cum onto our stomachs. He grunted my name after thrusting into me one final time and spilling his seed inside of me. Both of us were spent for the night. I ran my fingers through his hair while he rested just his forehead on my chest.

We panted while still clinging to each other. Once both of us were ready, I unwrapped my legs and rested them on the bed, allowing him to stand. I watched, still in afterglow as he moved to the closet to get a rag. He used it to clean off himself off first before moving to clean me up. We didn't say a word, only looked into each other's eyes. When he was finished, he threw the rag into the dirty hamper, helped me to the top of the bed, pulled the covers over us, pulled me into his chest and kissed me lovingly, and finally tucking us in. I waited for him to finally pass out before falling asleep to the sound of his soothing heart.

…

…

…

It was 3:15 when I woke up. I hurried up and shut off the alarm when I heard it go off. Thanks to the herb I gave Naruto, I wasn't afraid of Naruto waking up, but I was still careful and quiet while moving around the room. I showered, got dressed and made sure I had everything packed before getting ready to leave. I turned towards Naruto with a sad expression. He looked so peaceful and content. I wish I could capture this moment. But, the only thing I could do was stare at him until everything about his was etched into my memory. I don't know how long was going to be gone, but I knew that I wouldn't be this happy for quite some time. With one final kiss goodbye and a final 'I love you'. I was out of the door and on my way to meet Oorchimaru's team.

…

…

…

It was getting closer to 4 by time I was almost in front of the gates. I had walked pasted the Hokage Tower, the academy, and all the places that were most important to me. They all brought painful memories and heartache, but I had to be strong. I looked up into the sky and saw that the moon was full. It looked so beautiful and easy to get lost staring at. It reminded me a lot of Naruto.

"_**Sasuke-kun?"**_

I turned around to see Sakura standing there. "Sakura? What are you doing out so late?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk. What about you? What are you doing out here so late and why do you have a bookbag?" She asked nervously.

I sighed at the poor girl. Especially knowing how she feels about me, this wasn't going to be easy.

"I'm leaving Sakura." I said plainly.

"Leaving? Where?"

"I'm going with Orochimaru to get training."

"But you can't! That man is dangerous! He gave you that mark on your neck, killed the Third Hokage, and he hurt Naruto. How could you go to him after everything he's done? Do you not care about this village or Naruto?" She asked in sad frustration.

"Of course I care! That's why I'm going. I can't become stronger here. If I go to him, then I'll be able to finally protect the ones I care about. I know what he's done, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to go to him because he's a good teacher. Now, why don't you go home. Little girls shouldn't be out past their bed time." I was getting ready to turn around and continue to leave when she said something that stopped me in my tracks.

"Take me with you."

After hearing this, I turned around to see that she was serious.

"No. You'll just get in the way."

"Please Sasuke. I want to become stronger. I want to become stronger with you. I want to help you defeat your brother. I want to be there for you through all of your pain. I just want to be beside you. I want all of this because…. Because I love you Sasuke! I've always have! And I'll do anything to be by your side. Just please take me with you." She begged.

Tears were streaming down the sides of her face. I have always admired how smart Sakura was, but one thing that always got on my nerves was her mental weakness. She was just telling me how much of a bad person Orochimaru was and yet, she is willing to follow me right to him. She didn't have the most common sense, but she was determined to give her that. Without a second thought, I sped behind her with my hands in my pockets.

"You're really annoying." I started. "You would follow someone who does not love you to someone who's dangerous just because you love them. You're not the brightest person, but you're determined I'll give ya that. You were more like an annoying sister to me. You got on my nerves and always needed saving. You were weak and often times I wondered why you even decided to become a ninja. But, I must thank you. You and the rest of Team 7 made me finally feel like I had a family again. So thank you. I just need you to do me favor… Please watch over Naruto for me and tell him that I'm sorry."

And with that, I knocked her out and placed her on a nearby bench before leaving Konoha.

…

…

…

I arrived at 4 am on the dot, or somewhere around there, and saw four Sound shinobi waiting right next to a round, wooden box. One of the members was a heavier set guy with orange hair. The next one was a girl with long pinkish, reddish hair. Next to her was a guy with dark skin and had his hair in a ponytail like Shikamaru. The last one was a really pale man with two heads. They looked like a weird bunch of people, but as long as they got me to Orochimaru what did I care.

"You must be the Uchiha kid." The girl said to me. "Lord Orochimaru was right, you are cute." She smirked.

"Cut the shit Tayuya. We have a schedule to keep. There's no time for you to be flirting with our objective." The orange haired man scolded.

"Shut up, Jirobo. I already know, so don't scold me like a child." She growled back.

"Why don't the both of you shut the hell up and let's get this over with." The two headed guy ordered before stepping towards me. "Don't worry kid, we'll have you to Lord Orochimaru in no time." He smirked before placing two fingers on my forehead.

He was getting ready to cast a sleeping jutsu on me. I closed my eyes and sighed. When it was casted, I started to feel sleepy and couldn't resists when they loaded me into the box. I felt my eyes close when I whispered one last goodbye to my distant Naruto.

…

…

…

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I don't know what time it was when I was rudely awoken by a banging noise. I didn't know what it was and I only heard it once, so I turned over and went back to sleep. That's when I heard it again, realizing someone was knocking on the door. I grumbled and began to call out to Sasuke.

"Baby. Can you get the door, I'm too tired." I whined.

But, when I reached behind me to shake Sasuke, he wasn't there. That's when I shot up in alarm. I brushed it off, thinking that he had just went to the bathroom, but I couldn't sense him anywhere in house. I shrugged it off again, thinking that he must've went on one of his early morning strolls. A little more away now and irritated that the banging continued, I threw the covers off of me and grabbed some pants to put one before going to answer the door.

"Coming." I called out to the person on the other side of the door. When I finally opened the door, there was a hysterical Sakura on the other side. She started talking, but she was too upset so I couldn't understand her. "Whoa Sakura, calm down and tell me what's wrong." I said with my hands on her shoulders.

She took a deep breath, tears still streaming down her face, and spoke the most heartbreaking words I've ever heard. "Sasuke is gone, Naruto. He's gone."

"Gone where?" I asked panicky.

"He left the village. He's going to see Orochimaru."

I almost fell backwards at hearing that. "You're lying."

"I swear. I saw him before her left. He told me he was going to do see Orochimaru and that he wanted me to take care of you and tell him that he's sorry. Oh Naruto what are we going to do?" She cried harder into my chest, but I couldn't hold her.

I was too shocked and immobilized to feel anything except my heart breaking.

"_For the first time in a long time… I feel like my world is crumbling…"_

…

…

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'…**_

Naruto, Choji, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Kiba begin to chase down Sasuke.


	29. Saying Goodbye Pt 2

**Warnings for This Chapter: **Nothing special. Choji vs. Jirobo.

**Author's Note:** I would like to apologize for an error in the last chapter and for the person I confirmed it for. I thought that I had placed Shino on their team. I wanted a scene where Shino is saved by Kankuro and I could demonstrate their relationship more before I finally have them get together, but I forgot that I had already did something like that during the Chunin Exams. So, Shino will not be in here, but Kankuro will be. But, don't worry, I will show their relationship more in future chapters. Also, this will be one of the few times my story will follow the series. There may be a few switches and some events maybe out of order, but there will be no serious changes. With all of this being said, if any of you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me.

…

…

…

**Last Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I don't know what time it was when I was rudely awoken by a banging noise. I didn't know what it was and I only heard it once, so I turned over and went back to sleep. That's when I heard it again, realizing someone was knocking on the door. I grumbled and began to call out to Sasuke.

"Baby. Can you get the door, I'm too tired." I whined.

But, when I reached behind me to shake Sasuke, he wasn't there. That's when I shot up in alarm. I brushed it off, thinking that he had just went to the bathroom, but I couldn't sense him anywhere in house. I shrugged it off again, thinking that he must've went on one of his early morning strolls. A little more away now and irritated that the banging continued, I threw the covers off of me and grabbed some pants to put one before going to answer the door.

"Coming." I called out to the person on the other side of the door. When I finally opened the door, there was a hysterical Sakura on the other side. She started talking, but she was too upset so I couldn't understand her. "Whoa Sakura, calm down and tell me what's wrong." I said with my hands on her shoulders.

She took a deep breath, tears still streaming down her face, and spoke the most heartbreaking words I've ever heard. "Sasuke is gone, Naruto. He's gone."

"Gone where?" I asked panicky.

"He left the village. He's going to see Orochimaru."

I almost fell backwards at hearing that. "You're lying."

"I swear. I saw him before her left. He told me he was going to do see Orochimaru and that he wanted me to take care of you and tell him that he's sorry. Oh Naruto what are we going to do?" She cried harder into my chest, but I couldn't hold her.

I was too shocked and immobilized to feel anything except my heart breaking.

"_For the first time in a long time… I feel like my world is crumbling…"_

…

**Onto the Next Chapter…**

…

**Chapter 26: Saying Goodbye Pt. 2: Encountering the Sound 4**

**Normal P.O.V.**

"What the hell do you mean Sasuke's gone? Where the fuck could he have gone?" Shikamaru asked as he, Naruto, and Sakura stood in front of Tsunade's desk.

"It's just what I said. Sakura and Naruto were the ones to confirm it." Tsunade confirmed.

"It must be that damned Cursed Mark! Orochimaru must be using it to control Sasuke!" Naruto growled with tight fists.

"Agreed. He wants Sasuke's power and since he couldn't get it from Itachi, he went after Sasuke." Tsunade hypothesized before filling out a sheet of paper.

"Ok. So now that we what's going on, why did you call me here?" Shikamaru asked.

"If we lose Sasuke, then Orochimaru will have an advantage over us and will most likely us Sasuke or his power to crush us. We need to get Sasuke back here and remove that mark. This is considered an A-ranked mission and, usually I would send another team of jonin to complete it. But, since we're still short from Orochimaru's invasion, I'm placing Shikamaru in charge of retrieving Sasuke." Tsunade explained.

"What?! That's not fair! I should be the one who brings him back!" Naruto yelled as he slammed his hands on Tsunade's desk.

"Naruto, Shikamaru is the only chunin I can trust to lead this mission successfully. You're too emotionally staked in this, but you'll be a great attribute to the team. So, you may go under the condition that you make sure to compose yourself. Understood?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the blond fox to make sure he knew that she was serious. Naruto held her with a glare of his own before backing down with a sigh.

"You're right, Granny Tsunade. I'm sorry. I promise to be composed during the mission."

"Good." Tsunade nodded before turning back to Shikamaru. "You will have thirty minutes to put the rest of your team together." Tsunade informed.

"No need. I already know who I'm bringing." Shikamaru said.

"Who will be on your team then?" Tsunade asked.

"I want Kiba, Neji, and Choji. With those three, Naruto and I should have no problem catching up to Sasuke."

"I'm not on the team? How could you not put me on the team? Sasuke is just as much as my comrade as he is Naruto's. I should be going too." Sakura said with frustration laced in her voice.

"You said it yourself. You failed to keep Sasuke from leaving the village. That means that you do not make that much of an impact on him to convince him to come back. And, no offense Sakura, but with your abilities and skills, you would only hinder the mission and probably get yourself killed. Trust me, it would be a lot simpler and better for everyone if you just stayed here." Shikamaru explained with his hands in his pockets.

At hearing this, Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and tried to hold back her tears. She knew that she wasn't the strongest or the best kunoichi in the village, but to hear that she's basically useless in bringing the love of her life back cut deeper than any other wound a kunai could give her. Sasuke was the only guy she ever loved. In fact, he was the reason he wanted to become a ninja. When she first got into the academy, she wanted to quit and give up, despite the encouragement from Ino. But, when she say how strong Sasuke was and fell for the younger Uchiha, she decided that she would do whatever it took to be on Sasuke's team. He was her drive, her everything. And to hear that she couldn't even impact him as much as he did her, crushed her world.

Naruto had been watching the whole thing. And, even though he agreed with Shikamaru, he couldn't help but feel for the girl. He knew what it was like to feel useless and weak, especially now. When he heard that Sasuke had left, his world came crashing down. Granted he knew that the only reason Sasuke left was because of Orochimaru, but that didn't stop him from thinking that it was him that drove him away. Questions buzzed around in his head. All he could think was that he's the reason Sasuke's gone. But, he knew he couldn't think like that right now. The only thing that he needs to focus on is getting Sasuke back. And he was going to start with cheering Sakura up.

He moved to stand in front of the silently weeping girl to place his hands on her shoulders. "Sakura. I'm sorry that you weren't able to stop Sasuke from leaving. But, the important thing is that you tried and you told us. Because of you, we know that Sasuke is in danger. So, why don't you go bring Neji, Kiba, and Choji here and leave getting Sasuke back to us?"

This did the trick. She smiled slightly before nodding, whipping her tears away, and leaving to do as Naruto asked. Amazed by this, Shikamaru patted Naruto's back with a smirk.

"You sure have a way with people." The black haired chunin smirked.

…

…

…

Fifth teen minutes later, Sakura returned with Neji, Choji, and Kiba. At the current moment, Shikamaru was informing them of their mission and other important details for them to know about.

"Do you understand the mission?" Tsunade asked from her desk.

"Yep. We just bring Sasuke back. Simple enough, especially with Akamaru and my tracking senses." Kiba smirked causing Akamaru to yelp in agreement.

"It won't be as easy as that, gentlemen. If I know Orochimaru, he probably sent a team to retrieve and escort Sasuke to him. So, if you end of facing an opponent, **DO NOT **take them lightly." Tsunade warned.

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Neji nodded.

"Alright gang, listen up. This is how the formation will go. Kiba and Akamaru will be in the front so that they can track Sasuke's sent and keep us from hitting any traps. I will be behind them so that I can give out commands based on their words. Naruto and Choji will be in the middle. I need both of you to guard the right and left side of our line. And Neji, you will be in the back. With your Byakugan, you will keep an eye out just in case someone tries to surprise us from behind. With u in this formation, we should have all of our blind spots covered. Everyone got it?" Shikamaru explained.

Everyone nodded in an understanding.

"When do we leave? I would like to get back before diner." Choji asked as he finished his last bag of chips.

"We'll be leaving in 15 minutes. Go make sure your weapons are in order before we leave. Dismissed." Shikamaru ordered.

Everyone nodded before leaving Sakura alone with Tsunade in her office.

"They'll be fine." Tsunade said after a long awkward silence.

"I hope so." Sakura sighed.

…

…

…

"Alright. Is everyone ready?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yep. Let's go." Kiba said. Everyone got in the formation and was about to take off until Sakura came running at them.

"Sakura? What are you~"

"I already told you, Sakura. You can't come." Shikamaru said, cutting off Naruto.

"As much as it pains me to admit it, you're right Shikamaru." Sakura said.

"Then why have you come here? You're delaying us even more." Neji asked.

"I came here to ask something of Naruto." She stepped towards the blond fox. "This is a once in a lifetime request. Please Naruto… Please bring Sasuke back to me. Please bring him home. I begged and pleaded to keep him from leaving, but he ignored me. So now it's all up to you, Naruto. You're the only person who can save him. You're the only person strong enough to bring him back. So please… Please bring him home." She begged while letting tears roll down her cheeks.

Despite knowing that he needed to remain composed, Naruto saw that Sakura was shedding tears for the both of them. He smiled as he walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Sakura. I'll bring Sasuke home no matter what it takes. Sasuke will be back in this village. Even if this is the last thing I get to do while living, Sasuke will be back home safe and sound before I die." Naruto promised.

Sakura lifted her head and stared into Naruto's determined eyes before whipping her tears away and smiling. This was conformation that she was accepting of his promise. When he was satisfied with that, Naruto returned to his position in the formation with a more determined look on his face.

"Alright. Let's go!"

…

…

…

The group traveled for about an hour before Kiba sensed something

"What's the matter?" Shikamaru asked.

"I can smell Sasuke, but there are four other people's scent overpowering it." Kiba announced.

"Those must be the guys Lady Tsunade warned us about." Neji said.

"They smell strong. But I also smell blood. I don't know what could've happened, but I do know that one of them is weakened. Everybody, be on your guard." Kiba warned.

"I believe a surprise attack is in order. Don't you Shikamaru?" Choji smirked.

"Agreed. Since one of them is weakened, they have no choice, but to stop and rest. Once that happens, we'll catch em." The shadow user announced.

So, for the next while they followed the group until they stopped in a hidden clearing. When Naruto and his group caught up with the Sound 4, they hid in the bushes and waited for Neji to give them a synopsis of the group.

"It's just as Kiba said. They are pretty strong. I can see a lot of strong chakra running through their veins. The orange haired one is the injured one, but he still has a lot of chakra." Neji informed.

"What about Sasuke? Do you see him?" Naruto asked in a panicked voice.

Neji looked around for a little bit. "He's in the coffin."

"In the coffin?" Naruto gasped. He felt his heart clench at the thought that his beloved was killed. "Is he…"

"I can't tell. They have a barrier around it." Neji said as he released his Byakugan.

Naruto began to hyperventilate. He felt his heart rate increase dramatically and his chakra begin to spike. He had to grab his chest when he felt himself suffocating. If he didn't calm down, he'd either have a heart attack or he'd go ballistic.

"Naruto, calm down. We don't know if he'd dead of not. They could've just put Sasuke in that coffin to carry him, not because he's dead. Getting yourself worked up isn't going to help anything though. Calm down." Kiba said, trying to sooth his friend.

After a few deep breaths and pep talk from Kyuubi telling him that it's going to be ok, Naruto was finally able to calm down.

"Better?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah. Thanks." Naruto nodded. "So, what's the plan Shikamaru?"

"We should listen to their conversation first. We might get some useful information. The only thing I could come up with is using my shadow Possession Jutsu, but we can't always rely on it. For the times that we've run out of plans, just do everything you can to create a shadow for me to manipulate. That's our safest bet. For now, let's just listen in on them." Shikamaru commanded.

Everyone nodded as they leaned in and listened to the conversation between their four opponents.

"Man. I hate this shit. My body feels like it's going numb." Jirobo groaned as he leaned against the tree.

"Well, what do you expect? Did you honestly think that you could use your Level 2 and **NOT **feel the effects?" Tayuya said.

"Of course not, but I also didn't think that defeating those two jonin would take so much out of me. Maybe I'm out of shape." Jirobo joked.

"Hn. Judging from your gut, I'd say yes." Kidomaru laughed.

"Wanna come say that to my face?" Jirobo glared.

During their bickering back and forth, the group began to devise their plan.

"Well that was useless." Kiba sighed in annoyance.

"Yeah. Look, there's five of us and only four of them. Sasuke's in that coffin. Why don't we just defeat these guys already, get Sasuke back and head home already?"

"For once I agree with Naruto. They may be strong, but if we take them all on together, then we'll have a better chance of success." Neji suggested.

"Alright fine. Here's what we'll do. Kiba, Naruto, and Choji. I want the three of you to be in charge of creating the shadows. Neji, you're going to be the one to use your Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms to hit their pressure and chakra points. I'll use my Shadow Possession to hold them in place. This is not the official plan. This is just a fall back plan to at least give us something to go on. Alright?"

Everyone nodded at Shikamaru's plan and was about to jump into action before Naruto turned to glare at Kiba.

"What?" Kiba asked.

"Stop touching my leg." Naruto glared.

"I'm not touching your leg."

"Yes you are. Now stop it, it's annoying."

"You're annoying. Don't be accusing me of something I ain't doing, _**Uzumaki**_. Besides, you're the one touching my leg, so you stop it." Kiba glared.

"Guys. This is not the time for~"

Shikamaru got interrupted when something pulled all five of them from their hiding spot. They were dragged from the bushes to in front of the Sound 4 by a smirking Kidomaru.

"Well, well, well. Look what I caught in my web. Five little insects." The four armed man chuckled.

"They're Leaf shinobi. They must be here for Uchiha." Tayuya said.

"They can try, but they'll only fail." Jirobo chuckled as he began to walk towards them.

With nothing left to do, Kiba reached into his pocket, pulled out a Smoke bomb, and threw at them, creating a half circle of purple smoke around the Sound 4.

When the smoke cleared, the Sound 4 began to chuckle. "You think that's going to stop us? Think again~ Hey! What?! Why can't I move?!" Jirobo yelled as he and the other Sound 4 tried to move.

"I've caught you in my Shadow Possession Jutsu. Now, hand Sasuke over and we promise to go easy on you." Shikamaru smirked.

"Hm. Very impressive. But, it would be even more impressive if I had not mastered that technique myself." Sakon smirked.

Shikamaru was confused enough to be hit by three flying kunai, in each arm, from behind. When he was hit, Shikamaru released his jutsu in favor of holding his wounded arms.

"Shikamaru?!" Everyone yelled.

"I'm fine. Just~ Watch out!" He yelled as Jirobo slammed his hands on the ground, creating a rock barrier around them. "Damnit."

"He buried us alive?!" Kiba gasped as they looked around.

"It would seem that's the case." Neji said as he walked over to the wall closest to him.

"So what? It's just a dirt wall. We can just bust right through it." Naruto said as he summoned a Rasengan. "Ready Kiba?"

"I was born ready. Let's go!" Without a second thought, Kiba jumped into the air while Naruto summoned his Rasengan. "Fang Over Fang!" Kiba yelled.

With these two attacks, both Naruto and Kiba began trying to tunnel through the wall. After about a minute of trying this, they dismissed their jutsus. They were smirking at the two giant dents that they created, but gasped when the wall began to repair itself.

"What the hell? The wall is repairing itself?" Kiba gasped as he fell to his knees while panting.

"It would appear so. Damnit. Now how are we supposed to get out of here?" Shikamaru cursed as he began to look around.

That's when Naruto, Choji, Shikamaru, and Neji fell on their knees.

"What the hell is going on? I feel so weak." Naruto panted.

"I do too. And I didn't even use any chakra yet." Choji panted.

Neji used his Byakugan to observe the wall and gasped at what he saw. "Oh no."

"What's up Neji?" Choji asked as he leaned against the wall.

"This isn't just a dirt wall. This is a barrier that is being enforced by chakra." Neji informed.

"Well, that explains why it's repairing itself." Kiba sighed.

"There's more. Not only is it being enforced with chakra, but it also seems to be draining us of ours. That is why we all feel so weak."

"Are you sure, Neji?" Shikamaru asked. "Damn. A double hitter." He cursed when Neji conformed it with a nod.

"Great. Now what do we do?" Kiba asked. "I give it another ten minutes before we're completely drained.

"Give me a minute. I'll figure something out." Everyone waited for a moment for Shikamaru to figure something out. When he did, he motioned for them to keep their voices down. "I think I might have figured something out, but I'm going to need to test it first."

"What do you need from us?" Neji asked.

"I want either Naruto or Kiba to try damaging the wall again while you observe with your Byakugan, Neji. But, be warned, whoever does it won't be able to bust us out." Shikamaru warned.

"Then what's the point? Won't we just be using more chakra?" Choji whispered.

"Not if this works the way I think it might." Shikamaru answered. "So, who's up for it?"

"I'll do it. I don't exactly know what's going on or how this will help, but I'm always up for getting wild. One barrier damaging coming right up. Here Akamaru." Kiba smirked as he fed his partner a food pill. When he did this, Akamaru turned red and transformed into a Kiba clone. "Alright Akamaru, let's go! Fang Over Fang!"

Everyone watched as the pair tried to tear through the wall. Neji watched how the wall reacted carefully as they damaged it. When Kiba and Akamaru were done, they collapsed onto the floor.

"Try all you want! You'll never break free from me barrier. I will suck all of your chakra out of your bodies!" They heard Jirobo laugh evilly from outside the wall.

"_**They'll be dead if they keep it up. The fools."**_ Ukon smirked.

"Don't play with them too long, Jirobo. We still have a time to keep, ya know." Sakon warned.

"Hn. Trust me. We'll be out of here in no time. They're practically killing themselves." Kidomaru laughed.

When they spoke, Shikamaru used his hearing to try to pinpoint their location. When he found it, his eyes traveled along the wall until it landed on a spot opposite from them.

"There. Right Neji?" Shikamaru asked. He waited until Neji nodded before throwing his kunai at that spot. "Perfect. Everything is falling into place."

"What's falling into place? What's going on Shikamaru?" Naruto asked.

"That spot, where I threw my kunai, is where his chakra is the weakest. If we can bust through that part, then we'll be able to bust out. Choji?"

"Right." The bear boy nodded as he pulled out a bag of chips and began eating.

"What? You're eating now?" When Choji didn't reply to Kiba's gasp, the brown haired dog boy sighed. "Leave it to Choji to stuff his face during a crisis."

"Wait, Shikamaru. Your hypothesis is correct, but there's a slight issue. Even though that is the weakest part of the barrier, his chakra is still pretty strong at that point. We need to find a way to weaken him further first." Neji warned.

"Hm. How can we weaken him from inside here?" Shikamaru asked himself.

While Shikamaru was busy thinking, Naruto decided to talk to Kyuubi.

"_Hey Kyuubi."_

"_**What's up, Kit?"**_

"_Remember how we poisoned Gaara, technically?"_

"_**Yeah?"**_

"_Is it possible to do the same against regular people?"_

Kyuubi thought for a moment before finally answering. _**"Yes. When I was sealed inside of your mother, she used to do that to her opponents. It don't have the same effect. In fact, I believe it's actually more toxic regular shinobi.  
**__"Then that's how we're going to weaken him."_

"_**Be warned, Kit. By doing this, you are also putting yourself in harm's way. The amount of chakra you feed into him will do a transfer. This means that whatever chakra amount you feed him will be the amount you absorb. Yes, my chakra will be replenished inside of you, but not for a while. And, the more of his chakra you use, the longer it will take for me to replenish mine."**_

"_Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."_

And with that. He ended the conversation and looked towards Shikamaru.

"Hey, you said that the kunai is where the barrier is the weakest, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I can weaken him from in here." Naruto smirked.

"And how are you going to do that, Fox Boy?"

"Just sit back and watch me work my magic, Dog Breath." Naruto mocked before walking over to the spot opposite of the kunai.

When he got there, Naruto summoned some of his chakra before placing his hands on the wall. He used his chakra to weaken Jirobo's while also absorbing it. On the other side of the wall, Jirobo could feel the poisonous chakra entering his body and filling him. He tried to push it out, but it was too strong and caused his chakra to weaken further.

"He's actually doing it." Neji gasped before turning towards Naruto. "Just a little bit more, Naruto.

The blond nodded before letting more leak out of his hands. When he decided that enough was enough, Naruto retracted his hands. "Alright Shikamaru. He should be weakened enough."

"Thanks Naruto."

"Hn. Looks like Naruto's pretty useful after all." Kiba smirked as he crossed his arms. But, he could feel a vein pop in his forehead when he heard Choji still eating the chips. "Are you not finished yet?"

Choji eat a few the last bit of chips before crumping the bag and throwing it over his shoulders. "Finished!" He smiled.

"Alright then. Go ahead Choji." Shikamaru ordered.

"Here we go! Expansion Jutsu!" When he said that, Choji performed a hand sign before he expanded into a rounder shape than he already was.

"You guys might want to step back." Shikamaru suggested.

"What's he doing?" Neji asked.

"You guys are about to find out why I picked Choji to come on this mission with us." Shika smirked.

Everyone watched in amazement as Choji's limbs and head disappeared into his body and he started rotating. "Human Boulder!"

Choji, the human boulder rolled along the floor of the doom until he hit the wall where the kunai was. Against that very wall, Choji began to roll at an incredible until the wall crumbled and he rolled out.

"They… broke through your barrier?" Tayuya gasped.

Jirobo removed his hands and let the barrier drop to reveal five smirking teens.

"You bastards! How did you escape?! Never mind. You're nothing but a band of rejects with an idiot for a leader." Jirobo smirked, causing a vein to pop in his forehead. "I'm still going to devour all you. And I'll start with that big fat bear kid over there."

The vein in Choji's head became bigger when Jirobo threw that insult at him. _**"What did you just call me?"**_

"You heard me. I called you a fat bear. What are you going to do about it? You don't have enough chakra to defeat me. What are you going to do, eat me? Ha. Are you sure your clan is filled with bears? If you asked me, they should all be fat little pigs." Jirobo laughed, effectively pissing Choji off further.

With his mind made up, Choji reached into his pocket and handed Shikamaru a bag of food pills as he walked ahead of the group.

"_**Shikamaru. Take these pills and give them to the others."**_

"What are you doing, Choji? You're not thinking about taking this guy on your own? You'll die."

"_**Naruto! Trust me, I can handle it. No one is going to insult my friends, my weight, and family and get away with it. Now go! This guy is mine."**_ Choji ordered.

"Awe, look at that. The fat bear is going to take me on. Go ahead you guys. I'll catch up when I finish with this pest here." Jirobo smirked as he got ready.

"You better hurry up. Once we cross that border, we're not turning back." Sakon warned before they sped off.

"Hey! Come back here with Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"_**Get going already!"**_ Choji yelled.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before sighing. "You better catch up to us. Let's go, guys."

"Right." Naruto, Kiba, and Neji nodded before following Shikamaru's lead.

When it was just the two of them left, Jirobo widened his smirk. "So, you really think that you're going to defeat me? All by yourself? Are you suicidal?" Choji refused to answer as he prepared himself to fight. "Fine then. I just hope you're ready for what I have in store for you."

"_**Bring it on…"**_

…

…

…

**To Be Continued…**

…

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Choji vs. Jirobo


	30. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**THIS IS IN AFFECT FROM NOW UNTIL ****AFTER ****JUNE 17, 2014**

***IMPORTANT NOTE***

Hello all! I just wanted to apologize for not being able to update lately. My school days are almost over and my job has been getting intense because I've been working with incompetent people who show how much they don't want to work and I have to pick up the slack while also dealing with studying for finals. People don't respect that I want to sit down and write fanfiction all day. Also, another reason I have not been able to update is because **ALL **of next week, I will be moving all of my stuff out of my on-campus room and packing for my summer vacation to Arizona and Georgia. As I am typing this note, I am actually sitting in my ethnic studies class (discussing Avril Leven? musical video 'Hello Kitty') before walking to my doctor's appointment. So, as you can see, I literally have **NO **time to myself. So, I apologize for not being able to post like I had planned or said I would.

Another thing I would like to comment on is how grateful I am to have fans waiting on me and staying with me through this time and waiting for my updates. I may not be able to always deliver, but when I do I make sure to have everything ready for my fans. Thank you guys. Also ask for you please stay with me until I can finally go back to updating.

The last thing I have to say is that, because of everything going on (working more hours, studying for finals, and preparing to move off campus for the summer), I will not being able to update until I come back from Georgia. The good thing is that I will not be staying in Georgia for very long and will have my writing notes in my room, ready for me to keep updating my four current stories. So, again I'm very sorry to have to send another note like this out, but it has to be done. If you have anything to say, I honestly don't care what is said but you're free to say it, and I may or may not respond.


	31. Choji vs Jirobo: A Bear Blossoms

**Author's Note:**

I'm back! And I must say that all the traveling I did was good for my soul. We road in a car to Arizona, USA (for my fans who do not know or live in the states) (btw, I had never been that far out west before so I was like a kid at a candy store when I went). And then, just 2 or three days after we came back home, I took a flight down to see my Georgia family. Now, as you know, I returned on the 17th, but not by plane like I was supposed to. I ended up riding in a car with my youngest aunt and her three small children in a car back to Ohio. The last two parts weren't that exciting, but I did love being out on the open road! So, my advice, if you get a chance to go across country in a car with FRIENDS or even family you like, do it. If you like cars and want to see your country front the P.O.V. of a car, then it'll be well worth it!

Now, as you know, I am back to writing, so expect updates from me. I am also looking for a summer job, so that should be the only thing holding me back from updating at this point. But, that's more of a side warning than anything. Now, there is something I would like to address. First of all, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE all of my fans on here! You guys are so understanding and don't care what my situation is, you guys are willing to wait until I can properly return to what I love doing. I can't tell you how happy I was when I got so many positive feedbacks and promises of waiting for my new chapters, stories and returns. There was even one person who said they were expecting me to see my family (because I do it, just about every year) and has already told me to go ahead and do what I needed to do. Sorry, but I forgot who you were, but whoever you are, you're awesome! All of you guys rock! Now, it's time to address the bitches of Fanfiction.

Besides all the support, I have gotten some rude emails and threats from my last author note. Some have threaten to report me for using a whole chapter posting place for an author's note (which we ALL know we can't do but do it anyway) and have threaten to report me. Another case was when I've been told by some people that they do not want to be my fan anymore because every summer I visit and help my family and because I haven't be good with updating. ….. Here's the thing… I am a busy college student and already feel bad that I have made a commitment to you guys, as my fans, to update and finish my stories. You guys know me. I ALWAYS finish my stories. It may take some time, but I manage to complete them. But, that is why I also let you guys know if I can/ cannot update as I have previously promised. Life gets in the way and I have to work around it. That's what happens to all of us. For the people who get that, I applaud you because you will be successful, functioning human being in the real world. For those who don't, I hope you have fun learning the hard ways that life is not meant to carter to your every command and would rather kick you in the crotch area and say 'fuck you'. Also, for the people who do not want to be my fans anymore because of my updating, that's fine. I totally respect your decision. It only makes me work harder and have respect for you. I'm not going to lie, if all I did was read fanfiction all day, I probably wouldn't want to continue to follow a person like me. That's fine, but when you don't want to be my fan anymore because I take time off and visit my family every year and NOT cratering to your needs…. FUCK YOU! First of all, I am NOT here for you. I am here to get my username out there and publish my work online for others to see. I also use this website to nurture my writing skills, to grow as a writer, and to have fun along the way. Through this website, I have met awesome, mature people from all over the world, and enjoyed publishing on here. NOT be someone's writing slave. Another thing, family is VERY important to me. I may not always like them, but NO ONE and I mean ABSOLUTELY NO ONE will ever insult my family and think they can get away with it. You're stepping on a line you don't want to so don't. The final word of advice I have for people like that is this… If all you do is read fanfiction all day because you don't like society or whatever your reason is, that's fine. I used to be that way, but I was still able to put my computer down, get a little burst of reality before going back to fanfiction and admiring the people on here. But, if you cannot LIVE without it or think that people on here are too busy with their lives to care about your problems or addiction…. GET A LIFE! NO ONE'S life will EVER truly revolve around yours, especially on here. On here, there are people who mostly do not care about you or too busy dealing with their own crazy life to really care about yours. That's part of me. I told you why I'm here. If any of you fall into this category, please listen to me and GET A LIFE! If you do it now, while you're young, then your real life will be much easier to manage. Now, you don't have to follow my advice, but I HIGHLY recommend it.

Oh, and before I forget, for the people threating to report me because I do the author's note thing, then you needed to get a life too. In case you didn't notice, EVERYONE does it! Do we care? No! Are we going to keep doing it? Yes! And, if you're here, "threatening" to report people who do it, then you're going to be busy for the next year. If you care about the rules on here, then you need a life to. As I said, we all break/ bend the rules. And it's alright. A small part of life is breaking the rules a little bit. Plus, if that's all you really care about is people following the rules on a website meant for fan girls/guys of all genres, then that means that you have nothing better to do with your lives and need to stay off the computer for a while. Also, if you're going to be making threats like that, then just do it. Do ahead and do it. If you're going to go ahead and threaten someone, then follow through. Idle threats are annoying and don't make people take you seriously. So, either get a life and get over it, or… no that's it. Just get a life. This is the LAST conversation I will be having with you people. Everyone else, I love and appreciate you!

I want to ask my loyal fan base something… How would you guys feel about me changing the title of this story? To be quite honest, I don't know why I named it this in the first place and find that it no longer fits, or at least for this part. I'm thinking of changing it to something else. I'm not quite sure what the new name will be yet, but I'll think of something or you guys can give me some suggestions. And don't worry, I'll leave the summery up and even make a little note in it to let people know that the name has been changed. Guests and account holders alike, leave your suggestions and possible name changes for this story in the review box.

I've also decided that I will do this story like the Naruto and Naruto: Shippuden was done. ***SPOILER ALERT* **I'm going to make the events after Naruto fails to capture Sasuke this time around a sequel with a new title that will also allow others to know that this is the sequel. Now will I do the movie preview for the sequel? I haven't decided yet. Most likely. But, that's a conversation for another, sooner time. Don't worry, at the end of this story, I'll be sure to include it into my author's note and keep you guys updated. It'll be a nice feeling to (almost) be done with this story. ***SPOIL ALERT* **Don't get me wrong, I love this story to pieces, but I have so many other stories for this couple, as well as some crossovers between Naruto and InuYasha to put out as well. I know that some of you have read my other NARUSASU story _**TIMERS**_ and thought that was a crossover. InuYasha _**INSPIRED **_that story, but it is different than the original story, no? ***SPOIL ALERT* **But, for the crossovers I'm talking about, I'm talking about meshing the characters together to form awesome teams. I know you guys will love it. And if not, then hit the back button and find something else to read.

**NOW, ONTO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR! IT'S TIME FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

**Last Time on **_**"Let's Only Try It Once"**_**...**

"Hm. How can we weaken him from inside here?" Shikamaru asked himself.

While Shikamaru was busy thinking, Naruto decided to talk to Kyuubi.

"_Hey Kyuubi."_

"_**What's up, Kit?"**_

"_Remember how we poisoned Gaara, technically?"_

"_**Yeah?"**_

"_Is it possible to do the same against regular people?"_

Kyuubi thought for a moment before finally answering. _**"Yes. When I was sealed inside of your mother, she used to do that to her opponents. It don't have the same effect. In fact, I believe it's actually more toxic regular shinobi.  
**__"Then that's how we're going to weaken him."_

"_**Be warned, Kit. By doing this, you are also putting yourself in harm's way. The amount of chakra you feed into him will do a transfer. This means that whatever chakra amount you feed him will be the amount you absorb. Yes, my chakra will be replenished inside of you, but not for a while. And, the more of his chakra you use, the longer it will take for me to replenish mine."**_

"_Thanks for the warning. I'll be careful."_

And with that. He ended the conversation and looked towards Shikamaru.

"Hey, you said that the kunai is where the barrier is the weakest, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" Shikamaru asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Because I can weaken him from in here." Naruto smirked.

"And how are you going to do that, Fox Boy?"

"Just sit back and watch me work my magic, Dog Breath." Naruto mocked before walking over to the spot opposite of the kunai.

When he got there, Naruto summoned some of his chakra before placing his hands on the wall. He used his chakra to weaken Jirobo's while also absorbing it. On the other side of the wall, Jirobo could feel the poisonous chakra entering his body and filling him. He tried to push it out, but it was too strong and caused his chakra to weaken further.

"He's actually doing it." Neji gasped before turning towards Naruto. "Just a little bit more, Naruto.

The blond nodded before letting more leak out of his hands. When he decided that enough was enough, Naruto retracted his hands. "Alright Shikamaru. He should be weakened enough."

"Thanks Naruto."

"Hn. Looks like Naruto's pretty useful after all." Kiba smirked as he crossed his arms. But, he could feel a vein pop in his forehead when he heard Choji still eating the chips. "Are you not finished yet?"

Choji eat a few the last bit of chips before crumping the bag and throwing it over his shoulders. "Finished!" He smiled.

"Alright then. Go ahead Choji." Shikamaru ordered.

"Here we go! Expansion Jutsu!" When he said that, Choji performed a hand sign before he expanded into a rounder shape than he already was.

"You guys might want to step back." Shikamaru suggested.

"What's he doing?" Neji asked.

"You guys are about to find out why I picked Choji to come on this mission with us." Shika smirked.

Everyone watched in amazement as Choji's limbs and head disappeared into his body and he started rotating. "Human Boulder!"

Choji, the human boulder rolled along the floor of the doom until he hit the wall where the kunai was. Against that very wall, Choji began to roll at an incredible until the wall crumbled and he rolled out.

"They… broke through your barrier?" Tayuya gasped.

Jirobo removed his hands and let the barrier drop to reveal five smirking teens.

"You bastards! How did you escape?! Never mind. You're nothing but a band of rejects with an idiot for a leader." Jirobo smirked, causing a vein to pop in his forehead. "I'm still going to devour all you. And I'll start with that big fat bear kid over there."

The vein in Choji's head became bigger when Jirobo threw that insult at him. _**"What did you just call me?"**_

"You heard me. I called you a fat bear. What are you going to do about it? You don't have enough chakra to defeat me. What are you going to do, eat me? Ha. Are you sure your clan is filled with bears? If you asked me, they should all be fat little pigs." Jirobo laughed, effectively pissing Choji off further.

With his mind made up, Choji reached into his pocket and handed Shikamaru a bag of food pills as he walked ahead of the group.

"_**Shikamaru. Take these pills and give them to the others."**_

"What are you doing, Choji? You're not thinking about taking this guy on your own? You'll die."

"_**Naruto! Trust me, I can handle it. No one is going to insult my friends, my weight, and family and get away with it. Now go! This guy is mine."**_ Choji ordered.

"Awe, look at that. The fat bear is going to take me on. Go ahead you guys. I'll catch up when I finish with this pest here." Jirobo smirked as he got ready.

"You better hurry up. Once we cross that border, we're not turning back." Sakon warned before they sped off.

"Hey! Come back here with Sasuke!" Naruto yelled.

"_**Get going already!"**_ Choji yelled.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before sighing. "You better catch up to us. Let's go, guys."

"Right." Naruto, Kiba, and Neji nodded before following Shikamaru's lead.

When it was just the two of them left, Jirobo widened his smirk. "So, you really think that you're going to defeat me? All by yourself? Are you suicidal?" Choji refused to answer as he prepared himself to fight. "Fine then. I just hope you're ready for what I have in store for you."

"_**Bring it on…"**_

**Onto The Next Chapter…**

**Chapter 27: Choji vs Jirobo: A Bear Blossoms**

**Normal P.O.V.**

After the others sped off, leaving Choji and Jirobo alone, the air was thick with tension. Jirobo wore a light smirk on his face while Choji stared him down with a hard glare. At this point, Choji was pissed beyond belief.

Usually, Choji was a loving and caring guy. Many people got along with the youngest member of the Akimichi clan. Even Ino, despite her, sometimes, harsh words about his weight. It is because of his gentle and kind demeanor that Choji didn't have a lot of pet peeves. But, when you touch them, he was a cannon ready to blow. And right now, Jirobo had touched all of them at the same time and pissed off the wrong Akimichi bear cub.

"Hn. You don't look so tough. I'll make sure to destroy you in one go." Jirobo chuckled. Choji didn't say anything. The brown haired bear responded by taking out a case with three colored pills. "Huh? What the heck are those? They don't look like normal food pills, so what are they?"

"They're my secret weapon. They're my clan's special Three Colored Pills." Choji smirked before taking the green Spinach Pill.

"Secret pill, eh? And just what exactly do they do?"

"Why don't you come over here and find out, fatty." Choji said with a daring stare.

"Hn. A bit cocky, eh? Fine then. Here I come!" Jirobo yelled as he ran towards Choji. Preparing for the oncoming attack, Choji spread his legs and tensed his muscles. When Jirobo collided into him, he was surprised to see that Choji managed to stop him in his tracks.

"_How did he stop me? Was he really this strong from the beginning or was it those pills?"_

"Surprised? You should me. I am now stronger than I was before. Now, I am able to take to down!" Choji yelled as he used his new strength to pick Jirobo up and throw him into a nearby tree.

Jirobo grunted as he hit the tree with a hard force. He felt the pain of not only being thrown into a tree, but also when he fell to the hard floor.

"_Pretty impressive, I must say."_ He panted.

"Ah!" Choji grunted after feeling the after effect of taking the green pill.

"_I didn't think that the green pill would hurt so much already. I better hurry up and finish it. This guy is strong, but if I finish him in one go, then I won't have to take the others. That'll give me enough energy to follow the others with a little more to spare. But, if I can't finish him off, then I may be forced to take the red pill. I'll just have to make sure that I __**CAN **__finish him before it comes to that."___Choji thought before taking two lines of kunais and wrapping them around his body.

"Expansion Jutsu!" He yelled before growing into his round shape again. "Here I come! Spiked Human Boulder!"

Jirobo waited unto Choji was close enough before flipping out of the way. Choji ran into the tree he threw Jirobo against and destroyed it before using his spikes to redirect himself back towards Jirobo.

"Earth Style: Earth Shore Return!" Jirobo yelled as he slammed his hands on the ground.

By doing this, Jirobo was able to create a large ground wall in front of him, protecting him from Choji's attack. He smirked when Choji hit the wall, claiming a small victory. But, that victory was short lived when Choji busted through it and rolled into him. Thinking quickly, Jirobo grabbed hold of an empty spot onto Choji and tried to stop his rotation, grunting and hissing as he felt the kunai shred and tears at his skin and clothes. After a few moments, Jirobo managed to stop Choji's rotation and put them back in a dead lock. Choji held on as tight as he could, but it weakened slightly when he gasped as he saw Jirobo activate his first level of his cursed seal. Trails of small arrows spread on the left side of his body and his face. Smirking at Choji's surprised face, Jirobo picked Choji up and threw him backwards. While in the air, Choji had just enough time to rid himself of his kunai but not enough time to land on his feet. Choji grunted painfully after hitting the tree with his back.

"_He has a Curse Mark too?"_ Choji practically screamed in his head.

"Haha! I've got to say kid, that green pill you took gave you some amazing strength. But, that's all. It didn't improve you. You see, kid, in every team there is someone that is considered dead weight. And in your team, that would be you." Jirobo laughed before running towards Choji and began pummeling his little defense blocks.

That struck a chord with Choji. He knew that he wasn't the most talented ninja in the Leaf. He also knew that what some of Jirobo was saying was true. He was the butt of everyone's jokes. People often told him about his weight and eating problems. Many have also wondered how he even passed the genin exam. Hell, even he questioned it himself. And, no matter how hard he trained, he always felt that his was worthless. Had it not been for Shikamaru, he would've quit being a shinobi long ago. That's when it hit him.

He began thinking of Shikamaru and how the deer boy was always there for him. There were times in the beginning that questioned his friend why they were even friends. But, no matter what, Shikamaru had always stuck by and encouraged him. Because of the bond they share, he had even prepared to even die for Shikamaru. And this was one of those times. Shikamaru needed him. They all needed him to defeat this guy. He wasn't going to let this guy win. Had had to win.

"Just give up kid!' Jirobo yelled as he threw Choji back. The brown bear skirted hissed and yelled in pain as he skirted along the ground. "You're worthless! You're never going to win! Just give up! You're pathetic leader should've known better than to send a reject like you. He's just as stupid as I thought he was." Choji lied on the floor for a few moments before finally moving to stand on his shaky legs. "Hm? Still choosing to fight? How pathetic."

"You know something, Jirobo? You're right about a few things. I'm not the strongest shinobi in the Leaf. I am usually the dead weight of the group. And, yes, I am a loser and a reject. But, you know what? It doesn't matter. Even if I don't believe in myself, there's always been one person who has believed in me. Shikamaru, my best friend in the whole world, has always believed in me. And that's why I will keep fighting!" Choji said before taking the yellow Curry Pill.

When he took that, his chakra exploded around him, completely covering him in it. Jirobo stood back and gasped lightly at the amount of chakra coming from the bear cub.

"Wow. That's a lot of chakra." Jirobo whistled. "But it won't stop me from killing you."

"Come on! Let's end this now!" Choji yelled as he threw out his left arm. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Some of the chakra moved to surround Choji's arm, causing it to grow twice its normal size. "Here I come!" Choji two three steps before swinging his expanded hand. Jirobo managed to dodge it. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Choji yelled again when he added the chakra to his left leg.

When Jirobo dodged that, Choji moved the chakra back to his right arm and brought his hand down on top of Jirobo's body. With his strength, Jirobo picked Choji up by his hand and threw him into the air.

"Take that!" Jirobo smirked.

"Try this! Super Expansion Jutsu!" Choji yelled for the final time as his entire body expanded to a ginormous size and landed on top of his opponent. After laying on Jirobo for a moments, Choji shank back down to his normal size and flipped away from Jirobo. "Did I get him?"

Choji waited a moment before smirking and turning away from his opponent. But when he did, he cursed as he fell to his knee, holding his right arm. "Ah, the pain is becoming unbearable. But, at least I got him. I'm just glad I didn't have to take the red pill. I'm drained enough as it is." While he was trying to muster up the strength to move again, Choji heard a grunting noise. He turned around to see that Jirobo had begun to stand. "What the ~?"

"I can't believe… I have to use my level two of my Curse Seal to defeat someone as weak as you. Oh well, no matter…" Choji watched in horror as Jirobo began to transform into a red beast with longer orange hair, black and gold eyes, and warts on his shoulders and forehead. "I'll just have to start taking you seriously and defeat you right here and now." Choji struggled to get up, grunting at the incredible pain his body was in, but was kicked away by Jirobo when he reached the struggling bear cub. "I hope you're listening to me, shrimp. Because I'm about to teach you about what happens to weaklings! They get dead!" He walked over to where Choji was lying and wrapped his chubby fingers around his neck. "I'm going to take the last of your chakra and then I'm going to kill you with it."

Choji yelled in pain and fear as he felt the last of his chakra being drained. He tried to grip Jirobo's arm and get it off of him, but he was too weak. He felt that this was the end.

"_I'm not… going to… make it…. Sorry Naruto… Kiba… Akamaru… Neji… and Shikamaru… Especially you Shikamaru… I'm sorry that I let you down… Thank you for always believing in… me…"_

"Hm? Empty already? Well I'm still hungry!" Jirobo roared as he threw Choji back again and laughing when his Leaf headband fell off. "Humph. You're an embarrassment to the Leaf. You don't even deserve to wear this headband. I'll just take it to Lord Orochimaru. Maybe he might like it as a trophy besides that Uchiha brat." Jirobo said as he picked up Choji's discarded headband. "Well kid, its time to end this. Nothing you do will stop me!" Jirobo brought his hand downward, ready to crush Choji with a powerful punch. But, before the attack landed, Choji was able to pop the red Chili Pill into his mouth.

"_Sorry… Shikamaru…"_

Jirobo's smirked when he thought his attack landed. But, when he lifted his hand, he only saw glowing blue butterflies. "What the~"

"_**Sorry, but this fight… isn't over yet."**_ Choji growled from behind his opponent. Jirobo turned around and saw that the glowing butterflies were landing on Choji's back and began forming into large, blue chakra wings. Angered that the cub wasn't dead yet, Jirobo sung around and tried to punch Choji, only to have Choji catch his fist. _**"Don't even try."**_ Was all Choji said before releasing Jirobo's fist and elbowing him in his gut. _**"I am now a hundred percent stronger. And with this new strength… I DEFEAT YOU!"**_

"I'd like to see you try!" Jirobo yelled as he got up and charged at, what looked like, a skinnier Choji.

When the two collided, they were put in another dead lock. It was Choji who broke it by sweeping his feet under Jirobo's and knocked him to the ground. When he was down, Choji kicked Jirobo's in the balls. _**"That was for insulting me."**_ Before Jirobo could blink, Choji was in front of him and punch him hard in the face. _**"That was for insulting my friends and clan."**_ Jirobo grunted and hissed from all the pain he was feeling from both Choji's attacks. But, when he saw Choji focus the last of his chakra into his left hand, Jirobo knew his life was over. _**"And this final attack… This for insulting my best friend… Say goodbye…"**_

"No! Please! Don't do this! Have mercy!" Jirobo pleaded.

"_**Goodbye… dead weight. BUTTERFLY BULLET BOMBING!"**_ Choji yelled as he delivered the final blow.

Jirobo screamed in agony as the attack hit his torso and actually went through it and forced his body further into the ground. When his loud screams stopped, his eyes rolled in the back of his head and he was dead. Having defeated his opponent, Choji smirked a weak smirk as he started to walk away with his headband back in his hand. He didn't get far before his chakra wings disappeared and he fell to the floor in a limbless heap. His body was heavy and he was completely drained. His chakra, strength, energy, and breath were gone. He could feel the effects of the pills finally taking its toll on his body. His father told him that this would happen if he ate the red pill. It was the deadliest pill of them all. Anyone could handle the green pill. Members of the Akimichi clan can take both the yellow and green pill and survive. But, if anyone takes the red pill, death was inevitable. His father told him not to take the pills. He wasn't ready to lose his only son. But Choji knew that he was going to need them. He knew that he would be in a position where he was going to have to use them. Despite what he father said, Choji knew the risks and was willing to take them for the good of the mission, his village and for Shikamaru.

With the last of his strength, Choji rolled over onto his back and stared up at the clouds. Even with his fading vision, Choji could see that the sky was just as amazing as the day Shikamaru and he met.

"_Sorry… Shikamaru… Looks like… I won't be catching up… after all. Good luck… Naruto… We're all… counting… on… you…"_

With a smile on his face and the sound of birds chirping, Choji's eyes finally closed.

…

…

…

Off in the distance, Shikamaru began to worry. They were beginning to catch up to the other members of the Sound 4. The only good thing was that he hadn't seen the big guy, Jirobo, since they left Choji to fight him. But, the part that had Shikamaru scared was that Choji hadn't come back either. Sensing his leader's distress, Naruto offered a few comforting words.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru. I'm sure Choji already defeated the guy and is just resting. He'll catch up soon. Dontchya worry." Naruto smiled.

"Yeah. Naruto's right. If anyone would defeat that brute, it's Choji." Kiba agreed.

Shikamaru looked around and saw a nod from Neji and Akamaru barked. Their words helped eased his mind slightly. But, the thought of not feeling Choji's chakra scared him more.

"_You better be alive, Choji."_

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Time on **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Neji vs. Kidomaru


	32. Saying Goodbye Pt 3: Neji vs Kidomaru

**Author's Notes:**

I know that all of you have noticed that I have updated chapters for the other stories and not this one. **DO NOT** I haven't forgotten about this story. I am trying to start a clean slate with my stories and obviously failing at it. I promise you that this story will end soon and a sequel is coming, so just hold on.

Here are some shout outs to the people who reviewed the previous chapter:

**Dragon77: **I was actually surprised when I saw you post a review minutes after I posted. You must be some kind of wizard. Lol. Jking. Anyway, sorry. No spoilers for now.

**Random Person (Guest who said they lack creativity): **It's alright. I appreciate your comment and it's also ok because as you can see, I decided on a new name anyway. Also, yes I do plan on following the storyline, but only to a point. In fact, I think that this first story is the only one of the two that actually follows the storyline.

**Release Me: **Here's the new name. I did love yours, but I think this one might fit a little bit better. I hope you like it and I promise the name ties it all together.

**Hikora and Rukia-aho: **Here's what you've been waiting for. Thank you for waiting patiently.

**Last Time on**_** 'Had It Not Been for You' **_**formally known as **_**'Let's Only Try It Once'**_**…**

Off in the distance, Shikamaru began to worry. They were beginning to catch up to the other members of the Sound 4. The only good thing was that he hadn't seen the big guy, Jirobo, since they left Choji to fight him. But, the part that had Shikamaru scared was that Choji hadn't come back either. Sensing his leader's distress, Naruto offered a few comforting words.

"Don't worry, Shikamaru. I'm sure Choji already defeated the guy and is just resting. He'll catch up soon. Dontchya worry." Naruto smiled.

"Yeah. Naruto's right. If anyone would defeat that brute, it's Choji." Kiba agreed.

Shikamaru looked around and saw a nod from Neji and Akamaru barked. Their words helped eased his mind slightly. But, the thought of not feeling Choji's chakra scared him more.

"_You better be alive, Choji."_

**Onto The Next Chapter**

**Chapter 28: Saying Goodbye Pt 3: Neji vs. Kidomaru**

**Normal P.O.V.**

They were getting closer to the Sound Four as was about to catch up when Neji felt disturbed.

"Hm. That's very strange." Neji mumbled.

"Huh? Whatchya mumbling about back there?' Kiba asked with his head thrown back.

"I know that we're getting closer, but something doesn't feel right. It feels as though this is too easy."

"Yeah? So what? That's just the way I like it. Easy." Kiba smirked.

"No you idiot." Shikamaru groaned. "It means that we might be in danger. The fact that they're not making it harder for us isn't right. I think they're planning something."

It was then Akamaru began to bark. "What is it boy?" Akamaru barked again, causing him to sniff around. "Damn. You're right, Akamaru."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"There are only two in front of us. One's missing and it's not the big guy." Kiba warned.

"What do you mean that there's one missing? Where's the other one go?" Naruto panicked after they all stopped on a thick branch.

Neji's ears spiked up when he picked up something. "Look out!" Neji called out as he pushed Shikamaru out of the way.

The lazy teen was about to shout at Neji until he realized that Neji was trapped in a large spider web.

"_**Got one little fly in my trap."**_

Everyone looked up to see one of the Sound Four, Kidōmaru, was hanging upside down from a branch.

"Let Neji go!" Naruto yelled.

"How about you try and make me, punk." Kidōmaru smirked.

Naruto summoned about five clones and rushed at the spider hybrid. All of the Narutos had their fists reeled back and were about to attack, but Kidōmaru was faster. He spit out silk into his hand to form a web.

"Ninja Art: Spider Flower." Kidōmaru said as he unleashed his web.

The Narutos grunted as they were caught in his opponent's web, literally.

"You're going to pay for that! Come on Akamaru!" Kiba shouted before Akamaru transformed. "Try this on for size. **FANG OVER FANG**!" Kiba and Akamaru aimed their attack at Kidōmaru, but he used more of his silk to trap the pair by their feet. "Damn. He got us." Kiba growled as he tried to get free.

"Ha. Looks like you're next, leader." Kidōmaru teased Shikamaru. "Don't worry, I'll make it quick."

"Hn. You stole my line. Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu." Shikamaru said as he began his attack.

But, right before the shadow could get to him, Kidōmaru jumped out of the way and flung some of the silk towards him. Shikamaru grunted as he was pinned to the bark of the tree.

"Hn. Well that was quick. I think, I'm going to take care for you first, since you know Shadow Clone." He said as he stared at Naruto. "But first… how would you like to spend some time in an air tight cocoon." Kidōmaru used his chakra to control the web to tie Neji up. "Now don't move too much. Wouldn't want you to be stuck there longer than necessary."

"Let Neji go!" One of the Narutos grunted.

"Now, now, now shouldn't we be worrying about ourselves right about now? And, here comes the best part, since you're my first victim, we're going to play a game. It's called find the real brat." Kidōmaru smirked before pulling orange silk and using it to form into spiky weapons. "I'm going to start with you on the right." He started throwing the weapons until there were only two left.

"Well punk, you're a lucky son-of-a-bitch to survive until the bitter end. But now your luck has finally run out. Say good bye, brat." Kidōmaru threw his last two at both the Narutos with a smirk. But, it was soon whipped away when both Naruto's disappeared. "Huh? Where in the hell did he go?"

"_**Behind you."**_ Naruto called out.

Kidōmaru was surprised when he saw Naruto coming from behind. Naruto landed a punch to his left cheek before round housing him off the branch. Recovering quickly, Kidōmaru used his webs to hang upside down on the branch while the other grabbed onto Naruto's wrist.

"Hn. I really underestimated you, brat. For you to come up with a deception plan as clever as that one in the heat of battle is impressive or really dumb luck. Either way, you're done for."

Kidōmaru pulled on the silk attached to Naruto's wrist, sending him flying into a branch. Naruto grunted as he hit the branch and couldn't recover enough to stop himself hitting it a second time. When Kidōmaru was about to throw him again, Neji came to the rescue. Using his Gentle fist, Neji cut the silk and grabbed Naruto.

"Neji? You're free?" Naruto grunted.

Neji nodded before placing Naruto on the branch next to a freed Kiba, Shikamaru, and Akamaru.

"How did you managed to get free?" Kidōmaru asked.

"While wrapped up in your cocoon, I noticed that your silk has chakra flowing through it and that it is chakra-based substance. Anything with a chakra-based substance is easy for my gentle fist to cut through." Neji smirked.

"Confident little fucker. Guess you'll be the one I'll have to take down first." Kidōmaru smirked back.

"Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto. I want you to go on ahead. I can handle him." Neji commanded.

"But~"

"We don't have time to argue." Neji interrupted Naruto. "I'm the only one who can handle him with my Gentle Fist. Plus, you three are the ones to retrieve Sasuke. I was never close, so me staying behind isn't too damaging. Tell Sasuke that I'm going to make him pay for putting us through this." Neji chuckled.

"You can tell him yourself." Naruto said before placing a hand on his shoulder. "I better see you again."

"You will. I'll be right behind you guys with Choji. I promise." Neji nodded.

The rest of the group nodded in agreement before taking off. After making sure they left, Neji glared hard at Kidōmaru. "So, it's just you and me now."

"Apparently. But don't worry, this won't take long." Kidōmaru smirked wider as he got into his fighting position.

"My sentiments exactly." Neji said as he got into his position too.

Kidōmaru began by spitting silk into his hands and using his chakra to control it. Neji effortlessly cut through the silk as if it were paper. Every time Kidōmaru would send silk his way, Neji would keep cutting it apart.

"Is that all you got? How pathetic. None of your silk is going to work on me fool." Neji said after finishing cutting the last of Kidōmaru's silk.

"Hn. Cocky, aren't we. It's fine by me. I'm no one trick pony. I guess I'll have to show you what I'm really made of." Kidōmaru said before standing up and taking a deep breath.

Neji used his Byakugan to peer at his chakra. "What the hell?" Neji was taken aback by the sight of, what looked like, his chakra channels expanding slightly around his cheeks.

After chewing on his silk a little more, Kidōmaru started shooting out more mini webs. Using his Gentle Fist, Neji was able to destroy most of them, but the last three pinned his body, arms, and legs to the bark of a nearby tree.

"That outta hold ya." Kidōmaru smirked. He laughed when Neji tried to struggle. "Ya know…" Kidōmaru spoke, causing Neji to stop struggling. "You're a pretty tough kid. By far the strongest on your team. Makes me wonder how Tayuya, Sakon and Ukon are going to handle the last three. Oh well. It's not my concern. I have my prey. Funny, I'd thought that you'd be a little more fun to play with. Oh well. Say goodbye to this world and hello to the next."

Kidōmaru smirked before summing some of his chakra and shooting a long golden rod from his mouth. Neji relaxed his body and focused his chakra out, breaking the silk around him and pushed off the bark. Kidōmaru gasped in surprised when Neji was below him.

"How did you get free?" Kidōmaru tried to say.

"You shouldn't be worried about that. You should be more worried about meeting your friends in the afterlife. Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!" Neji yelled before attacking. "Two Palm!" Neji used two of his fingers to jab Kidōmaru in his stomach. Because of the pain, Kidōmaru bit the rod and hunching over. This gave Neji the opportunity needed to continue his attack. "Four Palm! Eight Palm! Sixteen Palm! Thirty-Two Palm! Sixty-Four Palm!" With the last hits, Neji was able to knock Kidōmaru off the branch and onto the ground. A cloud of dust formed when Kidōmaru landed. To see if he succeeded, Neji jumped down. "Did I get him?" The cloud of dust began to disappear and Neji gasped at what was standing in the aftermath.

"_**I gotta say kid, you're a lot stronger than I thought. Looks like I won't be so bored with you after all."**_

Before Neji stood Kidōmaru with a hard substance on the skin of his body. After a little while, Neji watched in horror and amazement as the substance fell of his body.

"You're a monster." Neji whispered with a glare on his face.

"Now that's not very nice. And just when I thought we were becoming such close friends. Oh well. No skin off my nose. Even though your little attack is really powerful, thanks to the material I'm able to spin from both my body and my mouth, I'm basically untouchable." Kidōmaru smirked.

"_That was a little too close. Since close range attack is suicide, I'm going to need to keep my distance and find a blind spot." _Kidōmaru thought.

"_I'm going to have to find a way around that material. It's the only thing standing in the way of my attacks and him."_ Neji thought.

"Huh?" Neji was brought out of his thoughts when he realized that Kidōmaru disappeared. "Where'd he go?" With his Byakugan activated, Neji tried looking for his opponent.

The slight sound of silk being sniped caught his attention. Above him, Neji saw that a paper bomb was coming his way. He slid to the side. When he realized that it wasn't about to go off, he realized it was a ploy. Surrounding him were hard silk made kunai. Neji was ready to deflect them.

"Eight Trigrams: Rotation." Neji spun around in a 360 degree circle a few times at top speed.

"_How is he doing that?"_ Kidōmaru thought in a panicked voice.

When Neji was done, the silk made kunai were laying on the ground around him. Taking a breath to relax a little bit before picking one of the silk kunai up. Neji looked at for a few seconds before throwing it behind him without even looking.

Kidōmaru gasped as he fell on his stomach to avoid the kunai. With wide eyes and a racing heart, Kidōmaru stood up and looked at the kunai that almost went through his forehead.

"_Man. This kid is scary. How did he know where I was and he's not even looking at me?! Does he have eyes in the back of his head or something?!"_

"_**You can come out now. I know the kunai didn't hit you."**_ Neji called out while looking in the direction of where Kidōmaru is standing.

Amazed at Neji's strength, Kidōmaru couldn't help the smirk on his face as he hoped down. "Alright kid. You wanna play rough. Let's go."

Neji gasped slightly as he stared at the new Kidōmaru. The spider-hybrid used some of his silk to hang upside down from a nearby branch. As Neji observed him, he noticed that he had similar markings on his body as Sasuke's. He had no idea what it was, but he knew that, from how crazy his chakra was flowing through his body, Neji needed to be on his toes even more.

"Alright Kid. It's time to see what playing with the big boys is like. Summoning Jutsu." Kidōmaru said as a giant spider appeared. "I warn ya kid. Any defense you have, I can find a way around it."

Kidōmaru's giant spider spun a giant cocoon. Kidōmaru swung himself over to it and sliced it open. What seemed like a million black spiders came out. Neji used his Rotation to defend them. Kidōmaru waited until the webs slowed his down before throwing his kunai at Neji in hopes of stopping his rotation. But, when the kunai reached him, Neji was able to block it with some of his chakra at the last minute. Smirking at his successes didn't last long when he realized the webs had him stuck.

"What the hell?" Neji grunted as he tried to free himself. Using his Gentle Fist, Neji cut himself free. "Enough of this. If I can't use my Rotation, then I'll have to cut the threads individually."

Kidōmaru hid within the trees and used the same multiple kunai attack. Instead of using Rotation, Neji jumped out of the way. In midair, Neji flipped out of the way when he another wave was coming his way. When he landed, Kidōmaru sent more spiders raining upon him. Neji started off with his Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms, but when there was no end in sight, he switched to something new.

"Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" Neji shouted out.

In amazement, Kidōmaru watched as Neji took down the spiders at an alarming rate and speed. Thanks to this attack, Neji's attack also doubled. Deciding to try and out match Neji in numbers, Kidōmaru's spider made more spiders come down. Neji, trying to get rid of all the spiders, tried rotation, but the webs were sticking to him. This gave Kidōmaru a good time to try and strike. He sent more kunai Neji's way and was amazed when one finally hit him.

"_Ah, now I see. This whole time he's been predicting my moves with those eyes of his. Wow kid, you have the whole defense and offense package. Too bad I found your blind spot. Now things are going to get really interesting."_

Neji hissed as he kneeled to the ground. He looked at his arm and sighed when he realized that the kunai just grazed him.

"_I need to be more careful. With any luck, I just hope he doesn't realize that he might have found my blind spot."_

Kidōmaru's spider sent out more spiders. Neji used his One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. His wound started to hurt, but he had to keep going. He only stopped when a kunai pierced his back, causing him to kneel on the ground.

"Damn. He got me." Neji grunted.

Kidōmaru was relentless in his attacks. Neji could barely keep up. Soon five kunai pierced through his defense and hit his back. With a moan of pain, Neji fell to the floor with his hair, which was released from its band when a kunai cut it, covering his face.

"Well, well, well, looks like your defense isn't all that great after all. Too bad. Looks like it's time for me to kill you now." Kidōmaru said as he jumped down.

Neji managed to roll over and lift himself onto his arms as Kidōmaru began to walk towards him. The spider hybrid stopped several feet away before throwing the kunai. Neji closed his eyes, thinking this was the end. But, when the kunai never reached him, he opened them to see a sand wall in front of his face.

"Huh? Where did that come from?" Kidōmaru asked.

Both Kidōmaru and Neji watched as the sand wall went down and Gaara appeared.

"That'll be enough from you." The red-haired male said.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?" Neji asked.

"My siblings and I received word about your mission and came to help along with some of your comrades. Are you alright?" Gaara asked as he turned his head towards Neji.

"Yeah. Thank you."

"Hey Gaara! Everything alright down there!" Kankuro called.

Everyone looked up to see Temari, Kankuro, Lee and Shino standing on a branch above them.

"I'm fine. Go and catch up to the others."

The trio nodded before speeding off. This infuriated Kidōmaru. "Hey, I didn't ask for an extra prey."

"What's the matter? Don't like playing with prey that's not wounded?" Gaara smirked.

"You're going to regret those words." Kidōmaru growled as he jumped back.

Kidōmaru threw some of his kunai at the couple. Gaara put up his shield in front of them. This allowed Kidōmaru to jump onto a nearby branch and have his giant spider crash down on them. Kidōmaru smirked when Neji when used his Gentle Fist to dispel is. Kidōmaru used this to send more kunai towards them. Gaara quickly put up a barrier to protect them.

"Damn. I can't seem to get anything through that other kid's sand barrier. Now I need a new strategy." Kidōmaru before moving so that he was out of sight.

They waited for a little while before noticing that it's quiet.

"The attacks seem to stop." Gaara observed.

"Seems as if he's trying to find a way around your sand barrier." Neji said before hissing as he removed the last kunai.

"Are you badly wounded?"

"No. I can still fight." Neji said as he stood up. "Alright, let down the barrier so we can finish this."

Gaara nodded before doing as he was told. When the barrier was halfway down, Neji sensed a kunai aimed at Gaara. He pushed the red head out of the way, caught the kunai and sent it back towards Kidōmaru.

"Thank you."

"_**Well then."**_ The two turned around to see a transformed Kidōmaru was standing in front of them. _**"Looks like you two have turned out to be quite to opponents. Guess I'll have to show you that I'm no one to mess around with."**_

"And I thought he was a monster before." Neji shuddered.

"Keep on your toes." Gaara warned.

"_**Get ready! Here I come!"**_ Kidōmaru yelled before running towards them.

Gaara and Neji were ready, but ended up being caught off guard when Kidōmaru disappeared. Before they had time to wonder about his whereabouts, Kidōmaru used his multiple kunais to attack them. Neji deflected them with his Rotation.

"Hn. He seems to only know one trick." Gaara commented.

"Watch out!" Neji yelled as he pushed Gaara out of the way.

By doing this, Neji took the main force of the arrow Kidōmaru shot while using the chakra he's been slowly releasing to throw off the arrow's course. But, the force the hit and all the amount of chakra he used to protect them was getting to him.

"Neji!" Gaara yelled as he watched Neji fall to the ground. The red haired teen rushed over to Neji and held him up. "You fool, why would you do that?"

"Didn't want you to get hit." Neji panted.

"You could've been killed." Gaara glared in a non-harsh way.

"No I wouldn't have. I've been using my chakra to form a barrier around us. But I can't keep it up for long." Neji continued to pant.

"You're going to kill yourself if you don't put the barrier down. Leave the protecting to me. I promised Lady Tsunade that we would bring all of you back safely. I'm not going back to her with you dead in my arms." Gaara stated.

"You won't. I'll keep going until I can't anymore." Neji said as he tried to stand up.

"Fine then. Let's finish this together." Gaara said as he stood next to Neji.

Neji nodded. "Alright. Where is that spider hybrid?"

"_**Looking for me?!"**_ Kidōmaru as he was hanging upside down from a branch. _**"I see you don't plan on dying so easily. Good because I ain't done with ya yet."**_

"You're not getting away!" Gaara yelled as he sent some of his sand bullets after the retreating Kidōmaru. When none of the bullets hit him, Gaara cursed. "Damn. He got away. Neji, can you sense him anywhere?"

Neji used some of his chakra to try and sense Kidōmaru. When he couldn't, Neji sighed in frustration. "No. I'm too wounded and my chakra is running low. My Byakugan is weakened."

"Great, so now we're sitting ducks." Gaara groaned in frustration. "Huh?"

Both teens looked down when they felt the ground shaking. When they looked up, another golden arrow was coming at them. Neji turned his back and tried to run for it. Gaara tried to put up another sand shield, but the arrow blew right through the top apart before it could solidify.

"Neji watch out!" Gaara called.

Neji had already sensed the arrow when it got close. With as much strength as he could, Neji dodged the arrow by using a tree to throw off the arrow's accuracy. But, it didn't help much. Neji's forehead protector came off with blood on the medal part. Neji's pants were short and breathy as he fell to the ground on his knees. When he looked up, Neji noticed that there was a thread attached to arrow. He immediately thought of a plan.

"It could work." Neji whispered to himself.

"Neji?!" Gaara yelled as he ran to his fallen companion. "You're badly wounded. We need to retreat."

"No. We need to win or else he'll just go after the others. I've already thought of a plan to win, but we'll only have one shot at it." Neji panted out before whispering the plan in Gaara's ear.

"That's suicide Neji. I'm not going to have you sacrifice yourself that way." Gaara said sternly.

"It's the only way. One thing my sensei, Guy-sensei, always taught me was that being a ninja meant putting your life on the line for those you care about your village. Well that's what I'm doing. I could never ask you to do what I'm about to di so allow me to do it. Besides, he's only had time to figure my blind spot out, not yours. This could be our chance to take Kidōmaru down for good." Neji tried to convince.

Gaara stared into the brunet's eyes for a little while before sighing. "I can see you're determined. Fine. We'll go with your plan."

"Good. Now, when the arrow hits me, I'm going to add my chakra and blood to it so you can see. Follow the threat and it'll lead you to Kidōmaru. Got it?"

Gaara nodded at Neji's plan before helping him stand and disappearing. With a calm breath, Neji stood perfectly still and waited for the attack to come. Somewhere in the distance, Kidōmaru was confused as to what Neji was doing and where Gaara disappeared to, but decided to take this chance to finish off Neji. He drew his bow back as far as it would go before releasing it. Neji sensed it coming. And, with one final breath, he spun around and cried out when the arrow pierced his side and went right through him. The force of the arrow pinned the snow lion hybrid to a nearby tree. Gaara with a heavy heart and sad eyes could barely watch the scene before him. But, ha stilled his nerves so that the plan would work.

With a smirk, Neji grabbed hold of the threat and added his blood and chakra to it so that Gaara could see it. With the last of his chakra, Neji performed one final Gentle Fist. The attack reached Kidōmaru and damaged several of his internal organs. Gaara took this chance to finish Kidōmaru off.

When Kidōmaru fell to the ground, Gaara was able to catch him with his sand. With a rise of his hand, Gaara trapped Kidōmaru in his Sand Coffin. He held the struggling spider hybrid in the air for a little while.

"This is for Neji. Say goodbye." The red haired teen glared before finishing off his opponent.

Kidōmaru yelled when the attack happened before going silent. When Kidōmaru was finished, Gaara dropped the corpse on the ground before rushing towards Neji. He found the teen still pinned against the tree. Using one of Neji's kunai, Gaara cut Neji free and caught him in his arms.

"Is he… finished…?" Neji asked while panting.

"Yes. I finished him off. Now, let's get you home. You need immediate medical attention." Gaara said before summoning some of his sand to lay Neji on.

"I'm not going to make it. You know that." Neji commented.

"Shut up. I didn't ask for you to speak." Gaara replied as he began the journey back to the Leaf Village. They had only been traveling for five minutes before Gaara spoke again. "Why did you take that hit on purpose? I know it was part of your plan, but what was your true purpose?"

Neji closed his eyes and thought for a few moments before answering. "Kidōmaru was the strongest opponent I had ever fought. But, another strong person spoke inspiring words to me. He said "You can change your destiny too. Because unlike me, you're not a failure." Ever since then, I've changed my destiny into something greater."

"Hn. Let me guess, Naruto said that huh?" Gaara asked and smirked when Neji nodded. "That guy is something else."

"He sure is." Neji smiled back.

"He changed me too, you know. If it wasn't for him. You probably would've been dead. You all would've been dead and I wouldn't have cared. He made me see that there's more to life than anger and pain. Who would've ever thought that someone like his would life a fire from within me." Gaara said with a light smile on his face.

"Yeah. He's one amazing person. And he'll be an even better Hokage."

"Get some rest. By time you wake up, we'll be in the Leaf Village and you'll be in the hospital." Gaara said calmly.

"Gaara… Thank you…"

"You're welcome Neji." They traveled some more and right when Neji was about to close his eyes, Gaara spoke again. "Neji… Do you think… that we could be… friends? I believe with the change Naruto ignited from within me, I should be more… friendlier… It's not a request. More of a thought."

Neji smiled at this, especially seeing the blush on the shorter male's cheeks. "Sure. I'd like that very much."

The sky looked bright from where Neji laid. And, with a small smile on his face as he slipped into unconsciousness, Neji sent his final words to Naruto.

"_Naruto. You better bring Sasuke back… Or you'll suffer my wrath."_

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**To Be Continued…**

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**Next Time on **_**'Had It Not Been For You'**_**…**

Kiba and Akamaru vs. Sakon and Ukon


	33. Saying Goodbye Pt 4: Kiba vs SakonUkon

**Author's Note:**

I have noticed that my chapters are getting a little bad with spelling and grammar errors. This is because I try and get the chapter out as soon as possible. I have searched for a beta before, but have had the worst luck with finding a reliable one. So, if any of you think you can be my beta, message me on here and apply!

**Reviewer Shout Outs:**

**Hikora- **I think I already responded to you, but for the people who don't know: I was asked if Gaara and Neji are going to be a couple. Yes. I'm going to make them a couple with Gaara as the uke and Neji and the seme. When choosing them as a couple, I thought of Gaara being one of those hardcore people that needs someone to completely crack his shell. Plus, it's an interesting combination for me. I don't think I've ever written one where they were a couple. Another thing is that I've noticed that people will pair them together, but never explained why in this universe. So I'm going to do it while also letting you guys know why and how each couple came to be so that they're not too random for you guys. I already know that there are going to be a few couples that a lot of people may not know of, seen, or agree with, but I don't care. It's just fanfiction and I'm completely happy with all the couples I have in here.

**Dragon77:** Thank you. Hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

**Release Me:** I would like to thank you again for helping me pick out a new name for this story. I feel better about this story now that it has another name. So thank you again for that and I'm glad you like this story. Little by little it's slowly being one of my top favorites as well.

**Guest:** Hinata and Neji are different animals, despite them coming from the same clan, is a backstory I plan to write later. But, there is a story behind why that's there. So sorry, but you'll have to wait for it.

**Girl Supersonicboy: **Thank you. I'm glad you're still reading.

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**Last Time on **_**'Had It Not Been for You'**_**…**

With a smirk, Neji grabbed hold of the threat and added his blood and chakra to it so that Gaara could see it. With the last of his chakra, Neji performed one final Gentle Fist. The attack reached Kidōmaru and damaged several of his internal organs. Gaara took this chance to finish Kidōmaru off.

When Kidōmaru fell to the ground, Gaara was able to catch him with his sand. With a rise of his hand, Gaara trapped Kidōmaru in his Sand Coffin. He held the struggling spider hybrid in the air for a little while.

"This is for Neji. Say goodbye." The red haired teen glared before finishing off his opponent.

Kidōmaru yelled when the attack happened before going silent. When Kidōmaru was finished, Gaara dropped the corpse on the ground before rushing towards Neji. He found the teen still pinned against the tree. Using one of Neji's kunai, Gaara cut Neji free and caught him in his arms.

"Is he… finished…?" Neji asked while panting.

"Yes. I finished him off. Now, let's get you home. You need immediate medical attention." Gaara said before summoning some of his sand to lay Neji on.

"I'm not going to make it. You know that." Neji commented.

"Shut up. I didn't ask for you to speak." Gaara replied as he began the journey back to the Leaf Village. They had only been traveling for five minutes before Gaara spoke again. "Why did you take that hit on purpose? I know it was part of your plan, but what was your true purpose?"

Neji closed his eyes and thought for a few moments before answering. "Kidōmaru was the strongest opponent I had ever fought. But, another strong person spoke inspiring words to me. He said "You can change your destiny too. Because unlike me, you're not a failure." Ever since then, I've changed my destiny into something greater."

"Hn. Let me guess, Naruto said that huh?" Gaara asked and smirked when Neji nodded. "That guy is something else."

"He sure is." Neji smiled back.

"He changed me too, you know. If it wasn't for him. You probably would've been dead. You all would've been dead and I wouldn't have cared. He made me see that there's more to life than anger and pain. Who would've ever thought that someone like his would life a fire from within me." Gaara said with a light smile on his face.

"Yeah. He's one amazing person. And he'll be an even better Hokage."

"Get some rest. By time you wake up, we'll be in the Leaf Village and you'll be in the hospital." Gaara said calmly.

"Gaara… Thank you…"

"You're welcome Neji." They traveled some more and right when Neji was about to close his eyes, Gaara spoke again. "Neji… Do you think… that we could be… friends? I believe with the change Naruto ignited from within me, I should be more… friendlier… It's not a request. More of a thought."

Neji smiled at this, especially seeing the blush on the shorter male's cheeks. "Sure. I'd like that very much."

The sky looked bright from where Neji laid. And, with a small smile on his face as he slipped into unconsciousness, Neji sent his final words to Naruto.

"_Naruto. You better bring Sasuke back… Or you'll suffer my wrath."_

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**Onto the Next Chapter**

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**Chapter 29: Saying Goodbye Pt 4: Kiba vs. The Sound Four Brothers**

**Normal P.O.V.**

**Meanwhile: While Neji and Gaara were fighting Kidōmaru**

"Hey! Get back here!" Kiba yelled as they finally caught up to Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon.

"Man, they're fast for just two people." Naruto tsked.

"At least they're finally at odds that are in our favor. There are three of us and only the two of them." Shikamaru commented.

"What do you mean there are only three of us? Aren't you forgetting someone?" Kiba asked, causing Akamaru to bark in agreement.

"Sorry Akamaru. I meant to say there are four of us." Shikamaru corrected.

"Yeah you better include him. Because Akamaru and I have a new technique we've been working on that'll be sure the take them down. Hn. They won't even know what hit them." Kiba smirked.

"We need to pick up the pace! They're getting away with Sasuke!" Naruto growled in irritation.

"No Naruto. We need to keep this distance."

"Huh? Why in the hell would we do that? Don't you remember what we're on this mission for?" Naruto glared.

"Yeah? And besides wouldn't it be smart to attack them now while we have the advantage of a surprise attack?" Kiba asked.

"Of course I know what our mission is, but you have to think about this logically. If we attack now, then we would be at a disadvantage. All they have to do is take up a guarding position around Sasuke's coffin and wait for us to attack them. We would be too busy fumbling in the dark and might get ourselves not only spotted but killed. No, waiting until sunrise is the best. That way we know what we're doing and can actually see and be aware of our opponents and surroundings; especially if they have anymore traps set for us." This made Naruto tsk and growl further in annoyance. Seeing this, Shikamaru offered more comforting words. "Look, I know how much you care about Sasuke, but we need to play it right. We can't just run into this head first without thinking. If we do, we would be doing more harm than good. I promise that we'll get Sasuke back though. As long as we stick to the plan, everything will be alright."

Naruto thought about it a little more before finally giving in. "You're right Shikamaru. If I was leading Sasuke would probably be long gone and we'd all be dead right about now. I guess that's why Granny Tsunade made you leader, huh?" Naruto chuckled to himself sadly.

The group was quiet for a little bit before Kiba spoke up. "Hey Naruto. Not that I'm all that interested or anything, but what's your connection to Sasuke anyway? I mean, Lady Tsunade could've asked Shikamaru to pick anyone, but you ended up being the first to volunteer. I also get that he's your teammate, but why go through all this trouble for a guy who just treated you so bad."

"Sasuke didn't treat me bad and there's more to us than you think. Sure he was a jerk to me, at first, but after a while we managed to come to an understanding about each other. We bonded over the fact that we had no one except ourselves. Sure we had Sakura and Kakashi and maybe even Iruka-sensei. But, the bond that we share wasn't there with them, especially Sakura. I mean she used to bad mouth me for my pranks and everything. She doesn't understand what it's like to lose or to never have a family. She's starting to understand now, but she'll never fully understand. That's why Sasuke and I have each other. We understand each other and formed a bond stronger than that of anyone in the village. Sasuke… is my most important person. And I don't care how that sounds because it's true. And I would do anything to make sure he's back home and safe. Just like I know he'd do the same for me." Naruto explained.

Kiba took in everything Naruto said and began to think. It may not be the same as Sasuke and Naruto's bond, but he could kind of get where Naruto was coming from. After all, Akamaru has been with him since he was basically a baby. They've grown up together and have always been there for each other. If something happened to Akamaru, Kiba would do anything to make sure that he was alright and safe with him. That's a part of the reason why he keeps Akamaru on his person. It's a secure feeling knowing that Akamaru is never far away from Kiba. In a way, Akamaru was like his Sasuke.

Without another word, the trio continue onward through the night, making sure to keep their distance and follow the plan Shikamaru set in place.

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The first rays of sun peaked over the tree tops as Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon began their movement again. After about an hour after sunrise, Sakon smirked when he felt a presence.

"We have company." Sakon smirked.

The trio stopped and turned around to see Kiba, Akamaru, Naruto and Shikamaru standing there.

"Tsk. Of course they'd catch up to us without Jirobo or Kidōmaru with us." Tayuya tsked.

"Yea damn right we caught up to you. Now hand over Sasuke and we promise not to hurt ya too bad." Kiba smirked.

"Cocky brat. Let's see you take me on!" Sakon yelled as he leaped at them.

Naruto got ready and threw one of his kunai at him. The white haired demon dodged it. Naruto summoned a clone to help him form his Rasengan. To keep him occupied, Kiba and Shikamaru tried to grab him. Sakon was ready and punched the two several times. When Naruto and he were finished, the colon of Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto disappeared. Naruto went to throw his Rasengan at Sakon, but his white haired opponent grabbed his wrist.

"How are you going to attack me if you can't even throw it?" Sakon smirked. "Huh?" The smirk was whipped off Sakon's face when he saw Kiba's Tunneling Fang attack.

The attack went right through one of Naruto's clones to Sakon. The white haired demon dodged and saw that it went right over him. That was when Tayuya realized that she was the target. She tried to get out of the way, but Shikamaru had her pinned down with his Shadow Possession Jutsu.

"Get out of the way Tayuya!" Sakon yelled as he was heading towards her.

"It's not me! You move! I can't!" She yelled back as Shikamaru made her go closer to him.

When they were right in front of each other, Shikamaru released the jutsu and made them crash into each other. While they were trying to recover, Kiba took Sasuke's coffin and handed it over to Naruto.

"Let's go!" Naruto yelled once he caught the coffin.

The three of them were on their way back to the village by time Sakon and Tayuya recovered from their stumble.

"We can't let them get away!" Tayuya yelled.

"Don't worry. They won't." Sakon said as he activated his Curse Mark and went after them.

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Shikamaru, Kiba, Naruto, and Akamaru cheered as they were on their way back home with Sasuke.

"Yahoo! I love it when a plan comes together!" Kiba shouted in excitement.

"Yeah. See fellas. I told you it would all work out. All we needed to do was work together." Shikamaru smirked.

"Yeah and now we're heading home with Sasuke." Naruto smiled as he stared down at the coffin. _"We're almost home, Sasuke."_

Kiba's excitement went down when he picked up a scent different from the other two.

"Wait a minute you guys."

"What's the matter Kiba?" Shika asked.

"I'm picking up a scent. It's different of the other two we just fought. This one seems… ominous." Kiba shivered.

"Really? Who's is it do ya think?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know, but whoever it is… they're really strong…" Kiba shivered again.

Something felt way off about the presence he was feeling. It made him want to stop in his tracks and find somewhere to hide. He didn't want to tell the others that to keep them focused on returning home, but he also couldn't shake the feeling he had. It was definitely beyond anything they've ever faced.

"Oh no. Look out guys, but one of them caught up to us." Shika warned.

Naruto and Kiba looked behind them to see Sakon gaining on them. Along his face and body were multiple black squiggles similar to Sasuke's Curse Mark.

"You're not going to get away from me." Sakon called out.

"Man that dude is fast." Kiba cursed.

"We need to find a way to get him off our backs." Naruto said.

"I got a plan." Kiba said before handing a bunch of paper bombs to Akamaru. "Once you've set these up, come find us."

Akamaru barked before taking the paper bombs and leaving the group. It only took the pup a couple of minutes to finish his task. When he was done, Akamaru went to set them off. Sakon yelled when he realized that he was caught by a few of the bombs. The boys cheered when Kiba's plan worked. Akamaru was about to catch up to them when he set off the last bomb, but Sakon appeared and tied him to the branch with a thin wire.

"Akamaru! Hold on!" Kiba yelled as he went to his partner's aid.

"You won't get away from me that easily." Sakon smirked as he approached the two.

By time Sakon got to them, the bomb went off.

"Kiba! Akamaru!" Naruto and Shikamaru screamed.

While the dust was covering the trio, the blast from the bomb sent them hurling over a cliff.

"Kiba! Akamaru! Answer me!" Naruto yelled again.

"It's no use. We need to leave now! Tayuya is going to catch up to us any minute." Shikamaru warned.

"But~"

"Don't worry about them. They can handle that creep. We need to leave, now!"

Naruto turned to see that the dust had cleared and that neither of the trio was in sight. Deciding that Shikamaru was right, Naruto nodded in understanding before the two took off with Tayuya on their tails.

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"Hold on Akamaru!" Kiba yelled as they continued to fall.

"This is all that mutt's fault!" Sakon yelled as he kept falling to.

"No one is going to talk about my partner like that!" Kiba growled as he tried to use one of his hands to punch Sakon.

The silver haired male, leaned back slightly to dodge the blow before grabbing one of Kiba's hands. When his hand was caught, Kiba tried to kick his opponent. Sakon used his other hand to grip Kiba's leg. Sakon smirked as he had Kiba within range. Sakon flipped and hit Kiba in the back. The dog hybrid grunted as he started to plummet towards the ground faster. Realizing how close he was getting to the ground, Kiba added some chakra to his feet and was able to run down the side of the cliff. When he was close enough to the ground, Kiba released his chakra and was able to jump safely onto the ground.

"Akamaru? You alright buddy?" Kiba asked in a gentle voice. Akamaru grunted a little bit before opening his eyes. After seeing that it was Kiba holding him, the white dog snuggled into Kiba's jacket lovingly. "Glad you're alright buddy."

"Awe, how sweet. It's good to see that the two of you are ok." Sakon said after landing several feet away from the couple. "But, now it's time for this fight to end. Can't keep Lord Orochimaru waiting much longer."

"You're not gonna win against us! Akamaru and I are going to take you down!" Kiba yelled in reply.

Kiba reached into his pocket and gave Akamaru a soldier pill before moving to attack Sakon. While the silver haired lizard hybrid was distracted by the transforming dog, Kiba appeared behind him and went to attack. Sakon smirked as he turned his head and saw Kiba there. He moved to the side before griping Kiba by his hood and throwing him in the opposite direction. Akamaru barked as he ran to check on Kiba.

"I'm alright boy." Kiba said before standing up. "Let's use Fang Over Fang on him. He won't b able to escape that."

Akamaru barked before transforming. When both of them were ready, they performed the attack. But when the attack landed, both Akamaru and Kiba gasped when they were caught by the brothers. Trying to get free, Kiba tried to kick himself free, but another foot appeared from Sakon's stomach and stopped the attack.

"How interesting Sakon. There's one for each of us." Ukon smirked.

"How~ how in the hell are you doing this? Is this some kind of clone jutsu?" Kiba asked.

"Hn. Didn't you realize? This is Ukon, my brother." Sakon continued to smirk.

"Your brother?!" Kiba yelled in shock.

While Kiba was distracted, Ukon let one of Akamaru's fist go to punch him in the face. Akamaru grunted in pain as he was sent skidding across the ground until he hit a rock.

"Akamaru!" Kiba yelled.

"So you're the real one! Multiple Fists!" Sakon yelled as he punched Kiba. With a pained gasp, Kiba hit the rock Sakon sent him flying into. "I'm not finished yet!" Sakon went to attack Kiba again, but the younger male dodged. When Kiba was about to attack, an arm sprouted from Sakon's and gripped Kiba's neck.

"I don't understand. How are you and your brother doing this?" Kiba struggled to ask.

"It's thanks to Lord Orochimaru that we're this way. Both of us had flaws and strengths that complimented each other well. So, to make us stronger, Lord Orochimaru used a jutsu to combine the two of us. Now, we're unstoppable. None of our other teammates have been able to beat us." Ukon laughed before kicking Kiba in his side and knocking him into a charging Akamaru.

The two grunted when they collided and skidded across the ground. "Haha! Like that brat?! Now try this~"

"Enough Sakon." Ukon interrupted with his hand over his brother's mouth. "We don't have time to play around." Ukon removed his hand from Sakon's mouth before activating his second stage of his curse mark. _**"Let's finish this."**_

Kiba stood up when Sakon activated his curse mark. _"Man. How are we going to beat these guys? And now they've activated the next level of their mark? Oh boy are we in trouble."_

Akamaru started whining as he lowered himself to the ground. Feeling his partner's distress, Kiba began to pet him. "It's alright Akamaru. We'll figure a way out of this. I know they're a lot stronger now, but there has to be a way to defeat them." Akamaru barked a second later. "What? Trying that? Akamaru are you crazy?" Akamaru barked again. "No, forget it. It's too dangerous. There's no one here to back us up. And if we miss, not only will we not be able to move and would've used up all of our chakra, but we would also be dying for nothing. It's just too big of a risk to take right now."

Feeling angered by his partner's decision, Akamaru bit Kiba's hand. Kiba yelled when Akamaru bit him. This had been one of rare moments when Akamaru ever bit Kiba, so the dog hybrid was astounded. But when he looked at how serious Akamaru was, he started to understand.

"You really want to try the jutsu huh?" Kiba asked softly. Akamaru barked in response with smile. "Alright buddy. If you believe we can do it then let's go."

"_**Ah brother, how should we take care of these lowly shinobi?"**_ Sakon asked with a smirk.

"_**I say we rip them apart."**_ Ukon replied with a smirk of his own.

"_**I agree. Let's go brother!"**_ Sakon said before they started running towards the pair.

"Hn. I'm a pretty lousy master to let you bit me Akamaru. But I'm listening to you now. You know what to do." Kiba said.

Akamaru barked happily before disappearing. Sakon and Ukon appeared before Kiba and started punching him. Kiba grunted when he felt one of the punches land in his stomach. As he hunched over, both Sakon and Ukon smirked in victory.

"_**You're finished kid. Huh?"**_

Both brothers gasped when he they felt Kiba grab their arms. "You two may be the strongest of your team, but Akamaru and I are the strongest partners in the Leaf Village! We're going to be the ones to take you down! Go Akamaru!" Akamaru barked as he ran towards them and jumped up before performing his Dynamic Marking jutsu. Both the brothers groaned and hissed when they noticed that it was Akamaru's urine that landed on them, distracting them long enough for them to get away and run to the top of a rock. "Go job Akamaru. Now let's do it! Inuzuka Style: Human Beast Combination Transformation: Double-Headed Wolf!"

Smoke appeared and only disappeared when a giant white dog with two heads and sharp claws appeared. It gave a mighty roar which shocked the brothers below them.

Recovering from their shock first, Sakon smirked. _**"That beast is nothing but a drooling mutt."**_

"_**I bet it's nothing more than an illusion. What can that slobbering mutt do anyway?"**_

The beast growled before jumping up and spinning into its Fang Wolf Fang jutsu. The brothers jumped out of the way and hissed when they felt a cut on their leg.

"_**Damn. Their saliva can cut us."**_ Sakon hissed.

"_**Sakon you fool on your right!"**_

Sakon had barely any time to react when Kiba and Akamaru hit them with the powerful attack. The attack was so powerful that it ripped the two brothers apart. But the victorious smirk on Kiba's head was wiped away when the brothers began to grow metallic limbs to replace where they'd been ripped.

"_Oh no. That's not good."_ Kiba thought with panic setting in.

"_**You shouldn't get so ahead of yourself kid."**_ Sakon said as he stood up.

"_**Yeah, we were thinking of separating anyway. Being hit head on by that attack would've been catastrophic, but now that we've separated… it's time to get this fight really started."**_ Ukon smirked.

"_Oh no. They're barely damaged and we're running out of time. This attack is going to be our last one… Better make it count Akamaru."_ Kiba communicated telepathically, causing Akamaru to bark in understanding.

The beast steadied itself before using its Fang Wolf Fang to attack them. The brothers jumped out of the way and hid behind two rocks. The attack was going towards them when the brothers summoned Rashōmon. When the beast hit the massive gate, it fell to the ground after creating a nice sized dent.

"_Damnit."_ Kiba groaned.

Impressed with the couple's strength but not deterred, the brothers dismissed their summoning before attacking them. Despite their time being up, Kiba and Akamaru were able to blind their targets one last time before the jutsu wore off. When it did, the brothers hissed when they felt something stinging their eyes before Sakon punched Akamaru to the ground.

"Akamaru." Kiba weakly called out before he was also knocked to the ground by Ukon. With whatever little strength he had left, Kiba reached for Akamaru and held him tight. "I got ya buddy."

"_**Ah! Damn that mangy mutt! He spit acid into my eyes. Now it feels as if my eyes are burning!"**_ Sakon hollered in pain.

Kiba managed to stand while Sakon was freaking out. But, one thing he noticed is that Ukon was gone.

"Where'd the other one go?" He said more to himself.

"_**Boo."**_ Ukon smirked as he appeared on Kiba's shoulder.

The teen started to freak out when he noticed that his opponent attached himself to him. "Get off of me!" Kiba yelled in panic.

Annoyed by his brother's yelling, Ukon began to growl. _**"Sakon, you idiot, go wash your eyes in the river instead of screaming like a girl. I'll handle him."**_

To try and get Ukon off of him, Kiba swung one of his fists around, but his opponent caught it.

"_**Do you like my ability? It's perfect for assassination, don't you think? Now, that I'm attached to you, you'll need more than a set of claws to defeat me. Face it, you're nothing but a puppy trying to play with the big lizards. You're in way over your head. Give up now and I promise to not make your death so painful."**_

Kiba thought for a little bit. He was the only one who could fight the two of them, but he was out of options and time. There was nothing he could really do, but he didn't want to die like this. He had to think of a way to get out of the situation; for his and Akamaru's sake.

"_**Whatever you're thinking… I would rethink it."**_

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Kiba asked with a glare.

"_**Because, soon we'll be sharing a body."**_

"What do you mean by that?" Kiba gasped.

"_**I call it my Parasite Demon Demolition Technique. I'm using my chakra to infuse and slowly take over control of all your cells. I'll feed off of you and gradually corrode your body until you die. Knowing this, you should just give up and die with some dignity."**_ Ukon smirked in Kiba's ear.

"If that's so… Then I guess that means if I get hurt then so will you huh?" Kiba smirked before putting Akamaru down, grabbing a kunai and stabbing himself near his hip. Both Ukon and Kiba grunted in pain when Kiba stabbed himself. "What about that? Does it hurt, Ukon?" Kiba smirked.

"_**What the fuck is wrong with you?! Are you trying to die?!"**_

"No, but I think it's time for you to." Kiba smirked before stabbing himself again.

But right when he stabbed himself, Ukon detached himself but it wasn't fast enough for him not to feel the second blow.

"_**You're crazy." **_Ukon grunted as he laid on the ground; only sighing when he realized the blow wasn't fatal.

"That'll teach you to enter my body." Kiba side before throwing the kunai Ukon.

The lizard hybrid caught it but wasn't able to dodge the purple smoke pellets. The cloud covered them and gave Kiba enough time to escape. When the smoke cleared, Ukon was growling when he saw that Kiba escaped.

"_**Where did that brat go?"**_ Ukon kept looking around until he saw Akamaru on the ground in front of him. _**"Hn. Looks like he ran off and left his mutt behind. Oh well, I'll take care of it before I find the wounded puppy."**_

With a confident and evil smirk, Ukon approached Akamaru's body. But when he was close enough, the lizard hybrid gasped when he realized it was a trap. Akamaru's body began to blow up like a balloon before several kunai flew out if it and hit Ukon.

"_**Damn him."**_ Ukon panted. _**"When I find them, they're dead!"**_

…

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…

In another part of the battlefield, Kiba held Akamaru tight and comforted him.

"I'm glad you're still breathing." Kiba smiled. "Good boy. You really gave it your all. And, thanks to you, we were able to beat them up pretty bad and stall them long enough. I don't know how much longer we have, but I'm glad that we were partners up until the bitter end." Kiba grunted in pain as his wound opened up a little further and blood started to seep through his jacket. "I'm sorry that it has to end like this, Akamaru. Thank you for being my partner all these years buddy. Thank you. Now rest. I promise, from now on, I'll take better care of you. I swear."

…

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…

"Sakon! Where the hell are you?!" Ukon yelled as he approached the river.

"_**Right here, what are you~ Brother! What happened?!"**_ Sakon gasped as he turned around and saw that Ukon reverted back to stage one.

"It was that brat. He got me. I need to rest." Ukon said before he morphed onto his brother. "I want to be the one to kill those two. So if you find them, keep them alive."

"_**No brother. We'll kill them together."**_ Sakon smirked before he started searching for them.

They searched for a few minutes before Sakon noticed a trail of blood and Kiba's jacket behind a rock. He smirked as he was about to attack until he noticed that Kiba wasn't there and the trail of blood continued in the direction of the river.

"_**Hn. So the kid is traveling by water, clever. But, we'll still find them none the less." **_Sakon picked up the jacket and gave it to Ukon to sniff. _**"Sakon. Sakon! Wake up you lazy bum."**_

"What do you want? Why are you waking me up?"

"_**Here brother. Use this to track him."**_

Ukon sniffed the jacket a few times before recoiling and almost gaging. "That's the foulest scent I've ever smelled."

"_**So what? Can you track them or not?"**_

"Yeah I have the scent. Go they went south of the riverbank." Ukon sighed.

"_**Alright then. Let's move."**_ Sakon said before following his brother's instructions to find Kiba and Akamaru.

…

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…

Kiba was further down the riverbank, but not far enough for his liking.

"_Gotta get to the others."_ He panted before resting against a nearby boulder.

The wounds in his side were killing him, but he had to keep moving. Looking down he saw that Akamaru was still unconscious. He was worried about his partner. To try and help Akamaru, Kiba tried to feed him some food pellets.

"Come on buddy. You need to eat. How do ya expect to get your strength back if you don't eat something?" Kiba smiled, but it faded when Akamaru wasn't responding. Frustrated but not deterred, Kiba placed Akamaru on his head and kept moving. "Don't worry boy. We'll be with the others soon enough. Just hang on a little longer."

…

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…

Kiba continued down the riverbank until he smelt fresh herbs. Smirking in victory, Kiba climbed out of the river and onto the shore.

"Alright Akamaru, I'm going to use some herbs to whip up something for those wounds of ours. Yeah, and then we'll be on our way again."

Kiba was about to step into the forest when he smelt something. _"Oh no."_ He gasped inward. His nose picked up the scent of Sakon and Ukon. They managed to find him and they were closing in. Thinking he had to take shelter, Kiba started to take off but his wounds stopped him. With a pained, quiet gasp Kiba fell on his knees and hugged both himself and Akamaru tightly.

"_**Well, well, well. Looks like the puppy ran out of time. How sad. You managed to get away from us temporarily. But we found you and now it's time for you two to perish."**_ Sakon smirked as he landed behind Kiba.

The dog hybrid struggled to turn around to see his opponents standing before him. They were still merged together, but Kiba didn't have enough energy or chakra to take one brother on. He knew that this would be the last time both Akamaru and himself would see the light of day. Their time had finally run out.

"_**Brother. Wake up and look at this."**_ Sakon called.

Ukon yawned before moving hi head until it was right besides Sakon's head. "Awe. Now look at this. The two wounded puppies are finally ready to die. Let's do them a favor, brother, and put them out of their misery."

"You won't kill us~" Kiba tried to stand, but his injuries were too great and he was losing more and more blood fast.

"_**Be still boy and die!"**_ Sakon yelled as he went to stab Kiba but gasped when something intercepted it.

Kiba had his eyes closed so he couldn't see the attack. But when he sniffed two familiar scents, he looked up in surprise. Standing before him was Kankuro who used his puppet, Crow, to block Sakon's attack. Behind him, Shino had Ukon, who was going to attack Kiba from behind, in his Spindle Formation jutsu.

"Two against one? That's a little unfair, dontchya think Shino?" Kankuro smirked.

"Yes. Unfair indeed. You two shall pay for hurting my friend in this unfair battle." Shino glared through his glasses.

"Shino? Kankuro? What the hell are you two doing here?" Kiba asked in shock.

"_**Who the hell are you two?"**_ Sakon growled as he ripped his hand from Crow's torso.

"I'm Kankuro of the Sand Village and an ally of the Leaf Village."

"And I'm Shino Aburame of the Aburame clan and the Leaf Village. We've been sent by or villages to protect our comrades from scum like you." Shino answered.

"_**Hm. It doesn't matter who you two are. My brother and I will be happy to add the two of you onto our kill count."**_ Sakon smirked before jumping back.

He went to attack Kankuro again, but this time he forced his hand onto Kankuro's face.

"Watch out! He's going to try and morph with your body!" Kiba warned.

"_**It's too late. I have him~ Huh?"**_

"What's wrong brother? Morph with him already!" Ukon shouted.

Sakon gasped more when the mask began to break until Kankuro's puppet Black Ant, appeared.

"_**What the hell is this?!"**_ Sakon yelled as he stepped back in horror.

Kankuro chuckled as he emerged from the bandages on the back of Black Ant. "I guess that pathetic jutsu doesn't work on puppets, huh?"

"_**What the hell are you?!"**_ Sakon screamed in terror.

"No one special. Just an ordinary Puppet Master." Kankuro smirked as he flexed his fingers. "Oh. And by the way… you shouldn't be standing so close to my friend Black Ant." Kankuro brought his arms across his body. By doing this, he activated the blades in Black Ant's arms and made them wrap around Sakon's body. "It's a deadly mistake."

Sakon yelled as he felt the blades cut into him. When Black Ant released him, Sakon kneeled to the ground and held his arms. He was forced out of his curse mark stage one and two.

"Sakon! Come to me brother! Let me be the host!" Ukon ordered.

Sakon was about run to his brother when Kankuro made Crow stand in his way. "Oh no you don't."

Kankuro sent Crow after Sakon. The injured twin was able to dodge and block all of Crows attacks. Kankuro used his fingers to release on of Crow's arms and sent it flying towards Sakon. The real attack were the needles in Crow's hand. Thinking he was about to get away, Sakon flipped out of the way and kept flipping until he was safe, or so he thought. When he finally landed on his feet, Kankuro had Black Ant behind Sakon and used it to trap him.

"Sakon!" Ukon cried out.

"Let me out!" Sakon yelled.

"Hn. Sorry, but this I what you get for undermining me and my puppets. You see Black Ant is used for trapping people instead of offense and when I pair it with Crow, there's no surviving it." Kankuro smirked.

"Let me out!" Sakon cried out again.

"Sorry, but I'm about to put on a puppet finale and you're the main star." Kankuro's smirk widen when he flexed his fingers, causing Crow to split apart and active the long knives at the end of each limbs. While Crow did that, Black Ant sat down and showed all of the openings for Crow to hit. "Say goodnight… Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot!"

Kankuro brought down his hands as everyone watched Crow stick Black Ant and Sakon. Sakon's pained screams echoed throughout the forest before he went quiet.

"Sakon? Sakon?! Can you hear me brother?!" Ukon called out. Kankuro used his fingers to open Black Ant's torso and Sakon's lifeless body fell out. "Sakon! No! I'll kill you! I'll kill you all!"

"You're not going to do anything. It's your turn now." Shino said.

"Finish him off Shino. We need to take these two back to the village." Kankuro said before walking over to Kiba and Akamaru after calling back his puppets.

"Right." Shino nodded before turning towards a scared Ukon. "Now, what to do with you."

"You son of a bitch! You killed my brother!" Ukon yelled.

"Don't worry. You'll be enjoying him soon."

Ukon squirmed and tried to move around as Shino approached him. When he was close enough, Shino opened his hand and allowed his Kidaichū to enter Ukon's body. Without saying anything, Shino started walking towards Kiba and Kankuro after he released Ukon from his Spindle Formation jutsu. He motioned them to hide behind a tree. Curious as to what Shino did, Kankuro and Kiba watched as Ukon screamed and went insane. He held his head as he kept screaming. Curiosity still plagued them until they noticed Ukon was getting bigger. He blew up like a balloon and soon he pooped like one two. The only thing that remained of the twin were his scattered remains and the Kidaichū bugs that were now crawling back towards their host.

"Whoa. Glad you didn't use that on me." Kankuro smirked nervously.

"I only save the Parasite Giant Insect Bug Bite jutsu for opponents that I'm not particularly fond of." Shino replied before turning towards Kiba. "How are you and Akamaru doing?"

"I'm badly injured but Akamaru is in worse shape. He needs a doctor now!" Kiba shouted until his wound affected him again.

"You both need a doctor. Don't worry. We're going to take you guys home now." Kankuro said as he readied Black Ant.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Kiba asked.

"Lady Tsunade rounded up another team to assist you five on your mission. Two shinobi already found Choji and Neji and have taken them back to the village." Shino answered.

"You found them? How are they? Are they ok?" Kiba asked frantically.

"They are seriously wounded, but alive. Asuma found Choji and Gaara of the Sand assisted Neji before they took them back to the village. I'm assuming Lady Tsunade and the medical team are working on them now." Shino answered again.

"What about Shikamaru and Naruto? Are they going to get back up too?"

"Yeah. There are two others that are helping them. Here, I'm going to put you in Black Ant. I know it's mostly used for trapping people, but it can also be used to carry people. You two can rest in here." Kankuro said before picking Kiba up and placing them in Black Ant's torso.

"Thanks guys. From the both of us." Kiba smiled before finally going unconscious.

Kankuro wrapped and strapped Black Ant and Crow onto his back before the couple started heading back.

The moment was awkward and silent for a moment before Kankuro started to say something. "So… um… you were pretty great out there…"

"Thank you. You weren't so bad yourself. I had no idea how strong you could be by manipulating puppets. You're a truly worthy opponent." Shino complimented. Both teens had a light blush of their faces. To keep the moment from being awkward again, Shino continued the conversation. "Thank you for helping our comrades out. The Leaf Village really appreciates it."

"No problem. I mean we're comrades too now right? Gotta keep the relations going. Gotta have some peace in this violent world, eh?" Kankuro laughed nervously while scratching the back of his hood.

Shino hummed in compliance before continuing. "Are you returning to the Sand Village after the mission is officially over?"

"Most likely. Oh man. This is going to be one headache of a report for me to write." Kankuro sighed with his hands behind his head.

"Are you going to return soon?" Shino asked.

Kankuro let his arms fall from their position as he turned to look at Shino. The two stopped in their tracks as their eyes met. Because Kankuro was slightly taller than Shino, he was able to see Shino's beautiful black slit eyes. To others, there didn't seem to be a lot behind those eyes, but to Kankuro, they were just as captivating as the most beautiful puppet he ever created.

With a more predominate blush on his face, Kankuro turned his head and cleared his throat. "I don't know. It's not up to me all the time." Slightly disappointed by this answer, Shino placed his hands in his pockets and turned his head too. Seeing this, Kankuro knew he had to act fast. "But… of you have some free time… maybe you can come visit me. I'll show you around Suna. It's beautiful around this time of year. Or at least I think so…"

Shino gave a small chuckle before answering. "I'd like that. And, if you can come back to the Leaf, then I'll help you with more moves and techniques. Deal?"

Kankuro smiled as he shook Shino's outstretched hand. "Deal." After they stopped shaking hands, the two didn't let go. "Do you think we could write to each other too?"

"I'd like that also." Shino nodded before removing his hand and started walking again. "Let's go. We need to get those two to Lady Tsunade soon."

Kankuro looked down at his hand for a moment, slightly missing the way Shino's hand felt in his, before following after the beetle hybrid. "Right."

…

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**To Be Continued…**

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**Next Time on **_**'Had It Not Been for You'**_**…**

Shikamaru vs Tayuya


	34. Shikamaru vs Tayuya

**Reviewer Shout Out:**

_**Hikora and Release Me: **_Keep reviewing you two.

***Author's Note: **I know that I put Tayuya as a hyena, but I decided to make her a rhinoceros instead. I figured it would go better with her second curse mark form.

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**Chapter 30: Saying Goodbye Pt. 5: Shikamaru vs. Tayuya**

**Normal P.O.V.**

**(Meanwhile, During Kiba and Akamaru's Battle With Ukon and Sakon)**

"I still think we should go back and look for Kiba and Akamaru. Who knows what could've happened to them? It's already bad enough that Choji and Neji haven't caught up yet. I'm really starting to get worried," Naruto said.

"I know, but we have to keep going. Getting Sasuke back to the Leaf is our top priority. Besides, we need to start thinking about ourselves here for a second. Tayuya is right behind us and I know you can sense the other people gaining on us. We're going to be in deep shit if we don't hurry up," Shikamaru replied.

Looking down at the barrel in his hands, Naruto knew that Shikamaru was right…as always.

"You're right. Let's—What the hell?!" Naruto yelled when a white flash appeared in front of them and stole the barrel.

Both Shikamaru and Naruto watched as the flash moved to the branch in front of them, barely noticing that Tayuya stopped on the branch behind them. Standing in front of them was a pale figure with shoulder length white hair, pale, scaly dragon skin, a long white dragon tail, and wearing a long sleeved kimono top with black capris. His green eyes scanned Naruto and Shikamaru for a few minutes. After deciding that they were not a threat, his calculating eyes moved to glare at Tayuya.

"You're late, Tayuya. Lord Orochimaru has been waiting for you."

"K-Kimimaro? What are you doing here?! How are you even moving?! You should be dead!" Tayuya gasped, eyes wide with fear.

"It's true. Because of my illness, my body can no longer move on its own anymore. So I have resorted to using the power of my mind. It is also thanks to this ability that my life force has intensified," Kimimaro answered calmly.

"Hn. So you're using your mind to cheat death? Creative and cunning, I'll give ya that." Tayuya smirked.

"Hey you! Give Sasuke back to us right now!"

Kimimaro turned his eyes away from Tayuya to look at Naruto, observing the fox for a little before speaking. "You must be the reason for the delay. I'm sorry, but Lord Orochimaru needs this vessel for his plans. I cannot just hand him over to you."

"Did he just say 'vessel'?" Shikamaru gasped.

"_**The hell he will! I'll die before letting Orochimaru have him!"**_ Naruto growled, feeling Kyuubi raging inside of him.

"You have no choice in the matter. I am only here to fulfill Lord Orochimaru's orders just like the rest of my comrades," Kimimaro replied smoothly.

"_**Over my dead body!" **_Naruto yelled as he jumped towards Kimimaro.

"Naruto! No!" Shikamaru called out.

Naruto reeled his fist back to punch Kimimaro, but Tayuya appeared in front of him and knocked him backwards. Shikamaru jumped to a nearby branch to catch him.

"You alright?"

Naruto nodded before moving to stand up. _**"We're going to have some trouble with them. What should we do?"**_

Shikamaru lightly hummed as he assessed the situation. While he was doing that, Kimimaro jumped over to kneel behind Tayuya.

"You know, I could end your life right now. I _should_ end it."

"So what's stopping you?" Tayuya asked, throwing a fearful glare over her shoulder.

"You still have a mission to complete. Your irresponsibility and slow speed made Lord Orochimaru use another vessel."

"So why does he need this boy if it's too late for him?" Tayuya questioned as she turned her attention to Naruto and Shikamaru.

"Because this is the body Lord Orochimaru truly desires. My duty is to deliver the boy in one piece. Your duty is to eliminate those two, and that is why I will spare your miserable life. I leave them to you." Kimimaro turned and jumped towards the barrel, but was stopped by a kick to the side.

"**LEAF HURRICANE!"**

Kimimaro grunted as he was knocked into a tree. When he recovered, everyone turned to see Rock Lee standing next to Sasuke's barrel.

"Lee!" Naruto and Shikamaru cheered.

"Yes, it is I, the youthful Rock Lee of the Leaf Village! I have come to assist you in retrieving Sasuke Uchiha!" Lee announced.

"Great, another nuisance. I'll take care of this," Tayuya growled before pulling out her flute.

Tayuya played a few notes and summoned her Doki. All three Leaf shinobi gasped when they saw the three massive demons appear. "I'm going to squash you like the insects you are!"

Lee was too busy looking at Tayuya and her Doki to notice Kimimaro approaching him.

"Lee! Watch out!" Shikamaru yelled.

Lee turned to his right to see Kimimaro there. The white dragon did a roundhouse kick and knocked Lee off of the branch. Naruto jumped to catch his friend.

"Tayuya, I leave them to you," Kimimaro said before grabbing the barrel and speeding away.

"_**Are you alright?"**_ Naruto asked.

"I am fine, but we need to get Sasuke back," Lee said.

"_**Shikamaru! We're going after Sasuke! You handle her!"**_ Naruto called before they followed after Kimimaro.

"Don't worry, reinforcements are on the way, Shikamaru," Lee called before they were finally out of sight.

"Reinforcements? What reinforcements? Who's coming?!" Shikamaru asked before cursing when Lee didn't respond.

"And now for your dirge." Tayuya called as she brought her flute to her lips. She was about to play it, but noticed that Shikamaru got closer to her and was about to trap her with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. She used her flute to make her Doki follow her onto another branch.__"Bastard. You almost had me there. Is that all you can do?"

"Don't worry. I'm not just a one-trick pony. I've always got something up my sleeve." Shikamaru smirked.

"Neither am I." Tayuya smirked before playing her flute.

Shikamaru's eyes widen as he listened to the melody. _So this is her Melody of Death. But what's with those giants?_

Shikamaru soon got his answer when the three demons disappeared. Shikamaru got into a fighting stance and waited for them to attack. The first demon, the one wielding a studded cudgel, brought his weapon down and broke the branch next to Shikamaru. But, before he could even move, Shikamaru had just enough time to dodge the next demon, the blindfolded one. The tree that Shikamaru was standing on was now destroyed because of them. He flipped out of the way and landed on another branch. Tayuya played a few more notes. The last demon, the one completely bound, used its feet to kick the tree down.

_They're really strong. I need to find a way to get around them and to her,_ Shikamaru thought after landing on another branch.

Tayuya smirked as she called her Doki back to her. "Not easy, is it, Shadow Man? I'll destroy you in a flash with my Doki." She brought the flute to her lips again and started playing more notes. As she fluted, her Stage 2 curse mark activated, black jagged lines covering her entire body. As she played more notes, Shikamaru had to play a game of dodge the demons. The demons wouldn't let up. This game continued until he was about a few yards away, hiding behind a nearby tree.

_Damn. The more she plays the flute, the further I have to get away. I need to think of something and fast._ Shikamaru panted.

"Come out, come out wherever you are. I'm not done with ya," Tayuya purred.

Shikamaru took a deep breath before stepping out of hiding. "I'm right here. Come and get me."

"I've got you now," Tayuya said before playing her flute again. The blinded demon used his weapon to slice through Shikamaru. Tayuya smirked, thinking she won, but it was just a clone. _Damn. It's only a clone. Where is he hiding now?_ Tayuya looked around until she found him.

She played a few notes, controlling the demon with the club, and sent it after Shikamaru. The brunet deer gasped before he jumped out of the way. Shikamaru kept jumping around and dodging all of the Doki until the three of them and Tayuya were in front of him.

"There's nowhere to go, little man. You're trapped like the little rat you are. Your time is up. Looks like you're not as smart as you thought you were, huh?" Tayuya smirked.

"That's a pretty nifty trick you're pulling. Using your flute to control all three demons at the same time. Must've had hours, no, years of practice."

"Actually, yes. I have been playing the flute for years. Imagine the joy I had when I learned that I could control my Doki with music." She smirked. "But, knowing what I can do is different than knowing how to stop it. Like I said earlier. You're trapped with no way out. You're done for."

_I need a plan. She's right. If I don't figure something out soon, I'm a dead man._

"Since you've lived this long, I'll play you a melody on few have heard and none survived. Revolt of the Demon World: The 9th Symphony."

Shikamaru gasped when he realized what she did. _She changed the tune?! What does that mean?!_

The demons attacked. Shikamaru was able to dodge in time, but gasped at what happened next. When the demons got together, their stitched mouths opened up and materialized spirits. Shikamaru cursed as he was in the air and couldn't dodge most of the attack. One thing that caught him off guard was that they didn't really attack him, but he felt some of his chakra fade.

_What the hell are those things? What are they supposed to do?_

The spirits pulled back enough for Shikamaru to land on a near bye branch. He pulled out a few kunai to throw at them. The kunai went through them, as he hypothesized, but he had to time the attack just right. When the spirts got close enough, Shikamaru jumped out of the way, leaving behind purple smog and a paper bomb. When it exploded, he was able to get away and hid from her line of sight.

"Where'd he go now?" Tayuya growled as she started looking around for him.

_Shit. That spirit took a small chunk of my chakra. If I keep scuffing with them, I won't be able to build my own chakra. I need to think of something._ Shikamaru reached behind him and assessed how many weapons and tools he had left. _Nine. I have nine moves left to win. I need to make every one of them count._

The young buck got all of his weapons and tools ready before making his first move. Shikamaru counted as he threw one kunai and paper bomb towards the rhinoceros girl. Tayuya gasped when she saw a bomb across from her. When it went off, she jumped out of the way.

"You think that's going to be enough to stop me?! You're sadly mistaken!" she yelled before playing her flute again.

From his hiding spot, Shikamaru unleashed one of his kunai. Tayuya used one of her Doki to block the attack before sending her other Doki towards him. When the other Doki appeared, Shikamaru was gone. As he moved away from his pervious hiding spot, he threw a small shrunken to release a bending branch from its hold. The branch lunched another kunai, which she used one of her Doki to block the attack. After that attack, Shikamaru unleashed almost all of his kunai, to which she used the same Doki to block them all.

"Is that all you're going to do?! Run and hide like the rat you are?!" Tayuya yelled.

"Nope. I'm right here." Shikamaru smirked as he landed on a branch across from her. "Come and get me."

"You must have a death wish. Fine, then. I'll end it here and now!" She raised her flute, but before she could blow a note, a Light Bomb dropped right in front of her. She gasped when she realized he was using it to create shadows.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" he announced before capturing the Doki's shadows. "Gotcha."

"But how?! How were you able to predict my movements?! There's no way someone like you could tell the difference in the notes of my melodies!"

"Here's the funny thing about that, I wasn't listening to your melody. I may be smart, but I don't know shit about music." He smirked as he placed his hands on his knees.

"Than how were you able to predict my movements?"

"Simple. I memorized your finger placements every time you played a melody. Pretty smart for a rat, huh? And now I have control over your Doki. Guess I'm a worthier opponent than you thought, huh?"

"Curse you, rat! You'll pay for this!"

"You might want to focus on trying to dodge these guys. I plan defeating you with your own Doki." Shikamaru smirked.

"And you might want to think of another plan. Dispel!" Tayuya ordered.

Shikamaru gasped when the Doki disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What the—"

"Hn. What was that about defeating me with my own men? Like I've told you before, no one has heard my melody and lived to tell the tale. And you're about to see why."

The jagged lines along her skin began to glow red before turning her skin gray; her pink hair lightened a few shades and grew a few inches; her forehead protector and the bandages on her head were torn apart as her horns grew larger. In this form, Shikamaru could better see her rhinoceros features.

"_**I've gotta admit, you've been a pretty worthy opponent. But now, this battle is going to end. You're going to be another notch in my belt."**_ She smirked as she raised her flute. _**"Take this. Demon Flute: Phantom Sound Chains."**_

Shikamaru tried to use his Shadow Possession Jutsu to stop her, but it was no use. He gasped and struggled to try and stay in control as he became disoriented. _Damn, she's trapped me in a genjutsu._ Shikamaru gasped as he felt his arms lift on their own. He lifted his head and saw that he was in some kind of graveyard strewn with bones. _Where the fuck am I? I need to get out of here._ He looked to his right and saw that his arm was melting. Then, he looked at the rest of his body and saw that it too was melting.

Tayuya smirked as she watched him squirm and scream. With slow steps, Tayuya grabbed one of the kunai Shikamaru threw at her before jumping over to him.

"_**You said you were going to win? You claimed that you'd defeat me? Well, checkmate."**_ Tayuya smirked wider as she was about to plunge the kunai into Shikamaru. _**"What the—!"**_ She gasped when she felt Shikamaru punch her in the gut. Surprised by this, she turned to look at him and gasped at what she saw. _**"You broke your finger?!"**_

"That's right. In order to break out of your genjutsu. Pretty bold, don't ya think?" Shikamaru panted. "Now, I have the upper hand." Tayuya looked down and noticed that she was now caught in not only his Shadow Possession Jutsu but also his Shadow Strangulation Jutsu. "And here I thought you'd be a great Shogi player. Every strategist knows that the first attack is always a decoy. You always win with the second or third attack. Pretending that I was still trapped in your genjutsu was the first attack, capturing you with my Shadow Possession Jutsu was the second move, and defeating you with my Shadow Strangulation Jutsu is my final move. Who's the rat now?"

Shikamaru moved a few inches away and reeled his fist back to hit her one more time, but she caught his fist with a struggling expression on her face. _**"You may have gotten out of my genjutsu, but don't let that go to your head. You're still a worm."**_

_Damn. I underestimated her strength in this form. The fact that she can move, even in the slightest, is amazing to me. It shows just how much strength she actually possesses. I can't let up now. I need to win._ Shikamaru grunted as he tried to put more pressure on his Shadow Strangulation jutsu.

Soon it turned into a fight between brain and brawn, both struggling to make the other back down. It seemed as if they were deadlocked; both gave a little, but neither budged. When Shikamaru's shadow almost wrapped around her neck, she added more power to her body, making her horns grow larger and thicker.

_I need to keep the pressure on, _both thought as they tried to push back even harder.

Shikamaru cursed mentally when he realized that she was too strong. His chakra was almost out and she still had some fight in her. _Damn. I'll need a miracle now._ Gasping when he saw his shadow move further down her body, Shikamaru knew that this was the end. _I'm finished. I'm out of chakra. She's beaten me._

Both gasped when they felt a strong wind come towards them. Shikamaru was blown back until he hit the bark of a tree and held on for dear life while Tayuya grabbed hold of a branch. _**"Who the hell are you?"**_

Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes. His breath hitched when he saw two of the three Sand Siblings, Might Guy and Shino standing before him. "Kankuro? Temari? Shino? Guy-sensei? What are you four doing here?" Shikamaru asked.

"Lady Tsunade sent us as reinforcements. She became worried when you guys hadn't come back yet. Where are the others?" Guy asked.

"Kiba and Akamaru got separated after an explosion and fell off a cliff in that direction," the deer answered, pointing west.

"Got it. Shino and I will go find them," Kankuro answered before he and the beetle left.

"Naruto and Lee went to go chase after the guy who took Sasuke north from here," Shikamaru continued, using his head to gesture the direction.

Guy nodded. "Got it. I'll go after them."

"And I'll stay here and help out with that thing." Temari smirked.

"Two more should be coming. You two stay here and direct them when they arrive." Guy commanded before speeding off.

"_**Hey! Where in the hell do you think you're going?"**_ Tayuya growled.

"You should be focused more on your new opponent instead of him." Temari smirked wider.

"_**And just who the fuck are you?"**_

"My name is Temari, the oldest Sand Sibling and ally to the Leaf Village. I've come at the request of the Hokage. Who are you?"

"_**I'm Tayuya of the Sound Four and I was just about to finish off that rat over there before you showed up. But, I guess that I can finish you off as well."**_ Tayuya grinned as she pulled out her flute.

"Be careful. She uses that thing to summon demons and cast genjutsu," Shikamaru warned the weasel girl.

"Does she, now? Wouldn't it be a shame if she were to lose that flute of hers, then?" Temari stepped a little closer. "Take this, Cyclone Scythe Jutsu!" Temari called before swinging her fan.

The wind she summoned not only cut the trees around her, but broke Tayuya's flute.

"_**My flute! How dare you destroy my flute?!"**_

"Hn. What do you plan to do now that your flute has been destroyed?" Temari smirked before biting her thumb and whipping the blood on the fan. "Try this: Summoning Jutsu: Kamatari!"

She swung her fan and a giant white weasel with an eye patch and brandishing a giant scythe appeared.

"_**What the hell?"**_ Tayuya said before moving to dodge the attack and hide.

"You can't run from Kamatari." Temari smirked.

The ermine summon followed Tayuya, slicing everything around them until there was nothing left. When the smoke cleared, Kamatari was gone and Tayuya was buried under several broken trees, back in her normal state.

"How was that?" Temari smirked as she turned to face Shikamaru.

The surprised look on the shadow user's face was priceless. He looked around and assessed their surroundings before putting his hands in his pockets. "I have to admit, you just might be the scariest woman I've ever met, including my mother."

"Hn. I'll take that as a compliment." Temari nodded before putting her fan on her back. "So, where was Sasuke?"

"He was still in the barrel last I saw him." Temari gave him a weird look. "Don't worry, he's not dead. I think they just knocked him out to make transporting him easier. We had him in our grasp when this guy named Kimimaro showed up. That's who Naruto and Lee should be fighting to get Sasuke back. He's their last opponent. I only just hope that they can defeat him in enough time to bring Sasuke back to the village on time." Shikamaru explained.

Temari nodded as she turned to face the direction of the Leaf Village. "You should rest. I know you're almost out of chakra. I'm surprised you're even standing right now."

"No, I'll wait for our last two comrades. Who are they anyway?"

Temari was about to answer when she turned around just in time to catch the falling teen. When she caught him, she laid him on her lap gently and started running her fingers through his hair. "Rest. I'll watch over you."

The words were like a lullaby to him. Above them, the sun was slowly making its way towards the horizon. With the few last words in his head, Shikamaru slipped into unconsciousness.

_You better hurry up, Naruto… You're running out of time…_

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**To Be Continued…**

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**Next Time on **_**'Had It Not Been For You'**_**…**

Lee and Might Guy vs. Kimimaro


	35. Saying Goodbye Pt 6: Lee vs Kimimaro

**Reviewer Shout Out:**

_**Hikora, Release Me, AresWinchester, and Alvinsimon**_

**Author's Note:**

Alright guys, I have some good and bad news plus a slight spoiler alert. This story is winding down to the very end. That's right, after this chapter there are only two more to be written before it's finally over. I know, I'm sad a little too, but I'm also happy that I can finally move on. Which leads us to the good news: there is going to be a sequel. That's right! There will be a sequel after this story coming soon. Yaya! Also, more good news is that the next two chapters after this one are all about our favorite couple, Naruto and Sasuke! I know you guys have been waiting for their scene and I promise that I won't disappoint you either. So just sit tight through this chapter and hang on for the next two chapters!

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**Last Time on **_**'Had It Not Been for You'**_

Shikamaru cursed mentally when he realized that she was too strong. His chakra was almost out and she still had some fight in her. _Damn. I'll need a miracle now._ Gasping when he saw his shadow move further down her body, Shikamaru knew that this was the end. _I'm finished. I'm out of chakra. She's beaten me._

Both gasped when they felt a strong wind come towards them. Shikamaru was blown back until he hit the bark of a tree and held on for dear life while Tayuya grabbed hold of a branch. _**"Who the hell are you?"**_

Shikamaru couldn't believe his eyes. His breath hitched when he saw two of the three Sand Siblings, Might Guy and Shino standing before him. "Kankuro? Temari? Shino? Guy-sensei? What are you four doing here?" Shikamaru asked.

"Lady Tsunade sent us as reinforcements. She became worried when you guys hadn't come back yet. Where are the others?" Guy asked.

"Kiba and Akamaru got separated after an explosion and fell off a cliff in that direction," the deer answered, pointing west.

"Got it. Shino and I will go find them," Kankuro answered before he and the beetle left.

"Naruto and Lee went to go chase after the guy who took Sasuke north from here," Shikamaru continued, using his head to gesture the direction.

Guy nodded. "Got it. I'll go after them."

"And I'll stay here and help out with that thing." Temari smirked.

"Two more should be coming. You two stay here and direct them when they arrive." Guy commanded before speeding off.

"_**Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going?"**_ Tayuya growled.

"You should be focused more on your new opponent instead of him." Temari smirked wider.

"_**And just who the fuck are you?"**_

"My name is Temari, the oldest Sand Sibling and ally to the Leaf Village. I've come at the request of the Hokage. Who are you?"

"_**I'm Tayuya of the Sound Four and I was just about to finish off that rat over there before you showed up. But I guess I can finish you off as well."**_ Tayuya grinned as she pulled out her flute.

"Be careful. She uses that thing to summon demons and cast genjutsu," Shikamaru warned the weasel girl.

"Does she, now? Wouldn't it be a shame if she were to lose that flute of hers, then?" Temari stepped a little closer. "Take this, Cyclone Scythe Jutsu!" Temari called before swinging her fan.

The wind she summoned not only cut the trees around her, but broke Tayuya's flute.

"_**My flute! How dare you destroy my flute?!"**_

"Hn. What do you plan to do now that your flute has been destroyed?" Temari smirked before biting her thumb and whipping the blood on the fan. "Try this. Summoning Jutsu: Kamatari!"

She swung her fan and a giant white weasel with an eye patch and brandishing a giant scythe appeared.

"_**What the hell?"**_ Tayuya said before moving to dodge the attack and hide.

"You can't run from Kamatari." Temari smirked.

The ermine summon followed Tayuya, slicing everything around them until there was nothing left. When the smoke cleared, Kamatari was gone and Tayuya was buried under several broken trees, back in her normal state.

"How was that?" Temari smirked as she turned to face Shikamaru.

The surprised look on the shadow user's face was priceless. He looked around and assessed their surroundings before putting his hands in his pockets. "I have to admit, you just might be the scariest woman I've ever met, including my mother."

"Hn. I'll take that as a compliment." Temari nodded before putting her fan on her back. "So, where was Sasuke?"

"He was still in the barrel last I saw him." Temari gave him a weird look. "Don't worry, he's not dead. I think they just knocked him out to make transporting him easier. We had him in our grasp when this guy named Kimimaro showed up. That's who Naruto and Lee should be fighting to get Sasuke back. He's their last opponent. I just hope that they can defeat him in enough time to bring Sasuke back to the village," Shikamaru explained.

Temari nodded as she turned to face the direction of the Leaf Village. "You should rest. I know you're almost out of chakra. I'm surprised you're even standing right now."

"No, I'll wait for our last two comrades. Who are they anyway?"

Temari was about to answer when she turned around just in time to catch the falling teen. When she caught him, she laid him on her lap gently and started running her fingers through his hair. "Rest. I'll watch over you."

The words were like a lullaby to him. Above them, the sun was slowly making its way towards the horizon. With the few last words in his head, Shikamaru slipped into unconsciousness.

_You better hurry up, Naruto… You're running out of time…_

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**Onto the Next Chapter**

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**Chapter 31: Saying Goodbye Pt. 6: Lee vs. Kimimaro**

**Normal P.O.V.**

**(Meanwhile, During Shikamaru's Fight)**

"Do ya think that Shikamaru will be alright?" Naruto asked Rock Lee and they sped up.

"Of course. Shikamaru may be lazy, but youthful intelligence flows through him," Lee answered with his usual confidence.

Naruto nodded at his comrade's words as they pushed onward. They followed Kimimaro all the way until they reached a clearing.

"Hold it right there!" Naruto yelled as they landed several feet away from their opponent. "Don't you take another step!"

Kimimaro slowly turned around and stared at the two Leaf shinobi. "Are you going to stop me?"

"_**Ya damn right we are! You're not taking Sasuke to Orochimaru or anyone else! I'll stop you, even if I have to die for it to happen!"**_ Naruto growled as his whiskers grew jagged, his claws and fangs elongated, and his eyes turned red.

_Hm. That child possesses a unique chakra. Better keep a close eye on him,_ Kimimaro noted.

"That's right, Naruto. Let the power of youth flow through your veins!" Lee cheered while maintaining his stance.

Kimimaro stared intensely at his two opponents before sighing. "If you wish to die here, then so be it."

Kimimaro rushed towards them, ready to strike. "Naruto, I'll distract him while you get Sasuke."

"_**Right."**_ Naruto nodded.

Naruto rushed ahead of Lee. When he was close enough, Naruto used some of his chakra to propel himself off the ground and onto Kimimaro's back. He jumped off just in time to avoid a sharp, large bone protruding out of Kimimaro's back.

_Whoa. What the hell was that thing? A bone? Can this guy make his bones come out of his skin?_ Naruto questioned as he stared at the bone sticking out of Kimimaro's back.

"Get back here," Kimimaro growled as he turned towards a retreating Naruto.

"Oh, no, you don't," Rock Lee said before grabbing hold of Kimimaro's arm and slamming him onto the ground. "I, the handsome Rock Lee, will be your opponent."

Kimimaro's brows furrowed before their owner poked a bone out of his arm and stabbed Lee in his hand, causing the cheetah to grunt in pain as he was forced to let go of the bone dragon. When Lee stumbled back while holding his bleeding hand, Kimimaro used another of his bones to pierce Lee's leg.

"_**Lee!?"**_ Naruto yelled from across the field. He wanted to help his friend, but he also knew that he had to get his lover back. Figuring that Sasuke wasn't going anywhere, Naruto ran to aid Lee in the battle. _**"Hey, you! Try this on for size! Rasengan!"**_ Naruto yelled as he formed the familiar sphere.

The hit landed and Kimimaro was sent flying backwards into a tree. When Kimimaro landed in a heap, Naruto rushed to Lee's aid.

"_**Are you alright?"**_ Naruto asked as he leaned down besides the bowl-cut boy.

"I'm alright. I can keep going. You need to get Sasuke away from here and back to the village. Don't worry about me," Lee ordered.

Naruto gave this some thought. It was against his code to leave a comrade like this, but he also knew that Sasuke needed to be taken back to the village as quickly as possible. Deciding that Lee was right, Naruto wished the green-clad boy the best of luck and ran towards the coffin.

Naruto was about to reach the coffin when a bone spear landed in front of him. _**"What the hell?"**_ He turned around to see Kimimaro rushing towards him.

Lee got up and stepped in the dragon's path. When Kimimaro began to close in on him, he let a bone pop out of both his arms before placing them in front of his face. Lee was ready. The green-clad cheetah rushed towards the bone dragon and used his hands to stop Kimimaro. For a while, they were in a deadlock, neither one moving since their strength canceled each other's out. To end the deadlock, Kimimaro let up some of his strength, causing Lee to fall forward slightly, before slicing along the other boy's arms. When Lee went to grab a hold on his arms, Kimimaro raised his right leg and roundhouse-kicked Lee in the face, sending him flying.

"_**Lee!"**_ Naruto yelled. But he didn't have time to worry about Lee when Kimimaro was running right for him.

To try and put up some defense, Naruto summoned around fifty shadow clones. All of the Narutos, including the real one, rushed at the dragon. Naruto smirked, thinking that Kimimaro wasn't going to be able to handle all fifty-one of him. But, he was wrong.

When Kimimaro got closer to the first line of Naruto clones, he extended the bones that were in his arms and sliced through the first line of Naruto's. The other clones got ready to do the Uzumaki Barrage attack, but the dragon dispelled them easily as well. The more he watched Kimimaro destroy each shadow clone, the more worried Naruto became. Finally, it was only just the two of them. Kimimaro has dispelled all fifty of the clones, leaving the real Naruto in his way.

Despite his nervousness, Naruto steeled himself and took Kimimaro head on. Kunai in hand, Naruto rushed towards the dragon and went to strike. Kimimaro ducked his head and shot out two bones, piercing Naruto's shoulders and causing the blonde to howl in pain. While Naruto was distracted, Kimimaro swept the fox boy's feet from under him. When Naruto began to fall, Kimimaro used his bones to pierce Naruto's shoulders again before throwing him in the direction of Rock Lee. Noticing that Naruto was heading his way, Lee rushed forward to catch Naruto.

"Are you alright?" Lee asked.

"_**Yeah. Man, that guy is tough,"**_ Naruto replied as he moved his hands to cover his wounds.

"Yes, he is. I never met an opponent as strong as him before," Lee agreed as he stood up. Naruto joined him when his wounds healed from the chakra. "Naruto, look!" Lee yelled as he pointed to the coffin.

Purple vapors began to come from the coffin. Confused by what he was seeing, Naruto pointed at Kimimaro with a glare. _**"What did you do to Sasuke?!"**_

With a calm demeanor, Kimimaro turned to look at the vapors emanating from the coffin. "I did not do anything to the boy. The vapors mean that he is ready for what Lord Orochimaru has in store for him. Stand back and watch."

Before either could object, Naruto and Lee watched as Sasuke's coffin began to shake. With each passing second, the container shook violently before finally exploding, causing the two Konoha genin to shield themselves from the debris and smoke. When the dust cleared, Sasuke stood with his back towards them and his hands covering his face.

Seeing his lover alive and well, Naruto gave a relieved chuckle. _**"Sasuke. I'm glad you're alright. Now you can help us defeat this guy so that we can go home. Come on! Everyone's waiting for you!"**_ Naruto's smile faded when Sasuke gave a crazed, maniacal laugh. _**"Sasuke?"**_ Naruto called out again, but Sasuke kept laughing. When Sasuke stopped laughing, he took off. _** "SASUKE!"**_ Naruto yelled after him.

Naruto's eyes widened when he sensed Kimimaro right behind him. "It's over. Sasuke belongs to Lord Orochimaru now. You're too late."

Kimimaro was about to strike when Lee reacted first. He gave a hard kick to Kimimaro's side and sent him sliding across the field. "Go on, Naruto. I'll take care of him. You need to get Sasuke back to the village."

Naruto was about to object, but he knew that Lee was right. With a nod, Naruto took off after Sasuke, leaving Lee to deal with Kimimaro.

"Do you think you can take me all on your own?" Kimimaro asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I will fight you until my last breath for my friends. That is my ninja way," Lee answered as he got into his battle position.

"Fine, then. If you insist on dying so soon, then I will grant you a swift death," Kimimaro said before rushing towards Lee.

Lee stood his ground as he watched Kimimaro pop out another bone and turn it into a sword. When Kimimaro went to strike him, Lee ducked down and used his hands to grab the sword. Using his strength, Lee brought the bone sword down, bringing Kimimaro with it, and used his feet to flip Kimimaro onto the ground.

_I'm so glad my body is responding well._

When Kimimaro landed on the ground, he grunted when Lee used his feet to do a backflip off of his chest.

"You will not win this fight," Lee announced while in his fighting stance again.

"You are indeed a strong one. This should be an interesting fight," Kimimaro grunted as he stood up.

With quick movements, Lee was able to dodge another attack Kimimaro sent his way. The dragon went in to stab Lee, but the green-clad cheetah was faster and landed a strong uppercut to Kimimaro's jaw. Kimimaro was able to flip into an upright position. Lee rushed towards Kimimaro in an attempt to deliver some powerful blows. With Kimimaro having such great agility, he was able to dodge most of Lee's attacks, but not the one where Lee brought his leg down on Kimimaro's left shoulder.

_This guy is too powerful and quick. Looks I'm going to need some help to win this fight._

Lee reached into his back pocket and pulled out a white bottle. Lee popped the cord and drank the whole bottle in a few gulps before throwing it to the side.

Lee waited a few moments before the alcohol finally took effect. Kimimaro was thoroughly confused by what was happening. Lee began swaying back and forth, unable to stay still for a moment. If he didn't know any better, Kimimaro would've sworn that Lee was possessed.

"What are ya staring at, huh, bonesy?" Lee hiccupped as he continued to sway. "Ya gotta problem with me? Then you better bring it."

Kimimaro just kept staring. And, even though his face didn't show it, Lee's actions only confused Kimimaro further.

"Hey! Doncha know how rude it is to stare?!" Lee yelled before running towards Kimimaro.

Even though Lee was drunk, Kimimaro was having a hard time keeping up with Lee's movements.

_He's faster than before. What did he drink that made him this strong?"_ Kimimaro wondered.

The two went at it for a while. Every time Lee went to attack, Kimimaro was barely able to keep up with dodging the attacks. Finally, when Lee went to send a roundhouse kick to his face, Kimimaro was able to do a backflip to dodge the attack. When Lee landed, he mumbled a few words before falling back onto the ground, appearing to be asleep. Confused by this, Kimimaro walked over to Lee. When he got close enough, Lee quickly grabbed ahold of the sword and delivered a bunch of kicks to Kimimaro's torso, sending him flying backwards into the ground.

"I did it, Guy-sensei. Be proud of me!" Lee slurred.

Kimimaro watched Lee's drunken actions as he stood up and dusted himself off, slightly miffed that he fell for Lee's trick. As he began to move closer to Lee, the green cheetah fell back asleep on the ground.

"I don't know what kind of liquid you drank or what stunt you're pulling, but you better prepare to die this time around!" Kimimaro proclaimed as he ran towards Lee.

Waking up from his (actual) mini-nap, Lee had finally sobered up. Through his pounding headache, the cheetah's vision was somewhat blurry, so it took him a while to see that Kimimaro was rushing at him. When he was able to finally stand, Lee was able to use his hands to hold off Kimimaro's sword attack.

"Hn. So I see that effect of whatever you drank is finally wearing off," Kimimaro said calmly. Lee did not say anything as he tried to regain his composure. "Well, then. I will be able to finally finish you off without you being so unpredictable."

Kimimaro freed his sword from Lee's grip, cutting the boy's hands in the process, before spinning around, slicing Lee's torso. Kimimaro would have given him deeper cuts, but Lee used his arms to defend himself, getting his arms sliced to hell in the process. When Kimimaro finished his attack, he raised his leg, allowing for a bone to pop out of his leg, before bringing it down and piercing Lee at the top of his shoulder, causing the cheetah to roar in pain..After breaking the bone off in the top of Lee's shoulder, Kimimaro kicked him in his torso, causing him to skid across the ground.

"Your life ends here," Kimimaro said before running towards Lee at top speed.

Wounded and bloodied, Lee thought that this fight would be his last. His body was beginning to tire out. Lady Tsunade warned him about the lasting effects of him prolonging his fights. She told him that if his body were to begin giving out on him, that he was to escape from the fight. But that was just something he could not do. Kimimaro was still strong and alive. He could not leave the fight now and risk having him go after both Naruto and Sasuke. Besides, quitting was not a part of his ninja way. His only options were to die here or win. He planned on winning, but if it came down to it, he would give his last breath to protect his friends and village. That was part of his ninja way.

With slow, painful movements, Lee stood up and readied for Kimimaro's attack. When the pain had lessened enough, Lee was about to unleash another attack, but someone beat him to it.

"**DRAMATIC ENTRY!"** someone shouted.

Lee gasped in amazement when he saw his sensei standing before him.

"Guy-sensei? What are you doing here? I thought you were on another mission?" Lee asked.

"I was, but returned early. When Lady Tsunade told me that you and the Sand Shinobi went after Naruto and the group, I knew that I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I didn't help you," Guy explained.

"Thank you, Guy-sensei. You came just in time. My body was close to giving out. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I was not able to defeat him in the amount of time it took for my body to give in. I'm a disgrace."

"Listen, Lee. You are nowhere near a disgrace. You ran all the way here after an operation. Even though you tried, I knew that you would not be able to defeat an opponent with how hard you pushed yourself. I am very proud that you were able to hold out this long and almost died for this cause. You have done well. Rest now. I'll handle him." Guy smiled with a thumbs-up symbol.

Kimimaro began to start coughing when he tried to stand up. More blood poured from his mouth, signifying his near end. _Damn. My time is almost up. I must finish this,_ Kimimaro thought as he wiped the blood away and stood up.

His eyes moved over and saw that he had a new opponent. It shocked him to learn that his new opponent was a turtle hybrid. _How could he move so fast yet be a turtle hybrid? He must be one of those people that only got the features and not the abilities. I better watch out for this one._

"You there! Bone Dragon!" Guy called out before pointing to himself. "My name is Might Guy and I am here to take you down in the name of the Leaf Village!"

"Is that so?" Kimimaro said. "In that case, allow me to finish this fight by killing the two of you for the sake of Lord Orochimaru."

Kimimaro unleashed the second level of his curse mark. Once he did so, his once pale and sickly skin turned ashy gray and more bones began to pop out of his back, tail, and body. By time he was finished, Kimimaro looked more like the bone dragon that he was.

"Be careful, Guy-sensei. He uses his bones as weapons," Lee warned.

"Don't worry. I have fought people like him before. I'm well aware of most of their tricks. Just sit back and watch me defeat him." Guy smirked as he got ready.

Kimimaro rushed at them with both of his bone-spiked arms ready for attack. Guy rushed at him as well. When they were close enough, Kimimaro was about to attack, but Guy was faster.

"Leaf Whirlwind!" Guy shouted as he unleashed his attack.

The attack caught Kimimaro right in the face and sent him flying to the right. Kimimaro was able to flip himself right side up. When he landed, Kimimaro decided to use a more powerful attack.

"Dance of the Clematis: Flower!" Kimimaro shouted before his bones began to form the weapon. On his left arm, his bones merged until they formed a giant lance that came to a point and fanned out like a flower in the back. When the weapon finished forming, he reached behind him and yanked out his spine.

"First comes the vine…" Kimimaro cracked his spine like a whip at Guy. Guy wasn't able to get away but he had a plan. "…and then comes the flower!"

Kimimaro raised his left hand, the hand with the lance, and went to strike Guy. The turtle hybrid was able to maneuver Kimimaro's spine in time to be broken by the lance and was set free. Kimimaro gasped at this and was too distracted to notice that Guy was attacking.

"Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!" Guy shouted as he ran towards Kimimaro.

With a powerful kick, Guy sent Kimimaro into the air and used his bandages to bind him before spiraling them towards the ground. When they landed, Guy flipped away from the opponent to take a better look at the situation before him.

"Alright, Guy-sensei! You did it!" Lee cheered.

"No. It's not over yet." Guy glared.

As Kimimaro tried to get up, he coughed up more blood, signifying the near end of his life.

_I need to make this last attack count._

"Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets!" Kimimaro shouted as he pointed his fingers at Guy.

"Leaf Strong Whirlwind!" Guy shouted.

While Guy was busy preparing his attack, Kimimaro was able to unleash his own attack.

"Dance of the Seeding Fern!" Kimimaro shouted as he slammed his hands on the ground. Both Guy and Lee gasped when they saw multiple bones pop out of the ground. They thanked their luck stars and the Seven Lucky Gods when it didn't reach them. It was Kimimaro's voice that called them back to the battle. **"THIS WILL BE MY FINAL ATTACK! DANCE OF THE CLEMATIS: FLOWER!**

Kimimaro combined his body with the bones and went in for the attack against Guy. When the vine went to attack Guy, he dodged behind one of the bones, causing the vine to wrap around the bone.

"**THAT WON'T SAVE YOU!" **Kimimaro shouted as he tried to pull the bone Guy was holding onto towards him.

Guy held on for a little while until he was pulled forward. When he was close to Kimimaro, Guy maneuvered the bone to pierce Kimimaro's chest. The bone dragon gasped when he felt the bone go right through his chest. It missed his heart, but he knew that this was the end. After he pierced the bone through Kimimaro's chest, Guy reached for the lance and also used it to pierce his chest, killing Kimimaro instantly.

After his death, Kimimaro's jutsus and cursed mark disappeared. Guy, being the nice guy that he was, lay Kimimaro onto the ground and closed his eyes. Knowing that the battle was over, Guy walked over to Lee and helped him stand.

"Guy-sensei! You did it!" Lee cheered.

"Yes. Now it is time to take you back to the village so that Lady Tsunade can look at you again." Guy said before they took off. Lee turned his head to the side to stare off in the direction of Naruto and Sasuke. "Lee, I forgot to ask you. Where are Naruto and Sasuke?"

"During Naruto's and my fight with that bone dragon, Sasuke emerged from the coffin and ran off. Naruto gave chase, but that was the last I saw of them. Sasuke…before he left, he gave a laugh that sounded quite evil and menacing. I wonder what is wrong with him. I only hope that Naruto can bring him back to his senses." Lee sighed.

"I may not have known Naruto and Sasuke long or extensively, but from what Kakashi and Iruka have told me, I'd say that there isn't anyone more qualified to return Sasuke than Naruto. Trust me, Lee. They'll both be back soon enough and everything will be back to normal. I know this for sure." Guy-sensei smiled his trademark smile, giving Lee the sense of hope he almost lost.

"You are right, Guy-sensei."

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**To Be Continued…**

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**Next Time on 'Had It Not Been for You'…**

Naruto and Sasuke's battle.


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